


A Touch of Jealousy

by bornforwar_archivist



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal High School, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-31
Updated: 2006-12-31
Packaged: 2020-03-17 10:58:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 187,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18963880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bornforwar_archivist/pseuds/bornforwar_archivist
Summary: By EchidnaSunnydale, Buffy, Spike and the entire gang are seniors in high school. When Buffy and Spike discover that their respective counter parts (Dru and Angel) have been macking on each other their heartbroken and decide to get them back by making them jealous. How is that achieved, by pretending to be an item, problem is that every one in the high school know that Spike and Buffy HATE each other. How will they convince them? Inspired in the movie “Addicted to Love”.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Delenn, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Born For War](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Born_For_War), which closed in 2015. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in March 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Born For War collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bornforwar).
> 
> Summary: Sunnydale, Buffy, Spike and the entire gang are seniors in high school. When Buffy and Spike discover that their respective counter parts (Dru and Angel) have been macking on each other their heartbroken and decide to get them back by making them jealous. How is that achieved, by pretending to be an item, problem is that every one in the high school know that Spike and Buffy HATE each other. How will they convince them? Inspired in the movie “Addicted to Love". 
> 
> Rated: NC-17 
> 
> Spoilers: None. It's un AU 
> 
> Author's Note: Well flocks, that’s the end of “A Touch of Jealousy". I hope you’ve enjoyed it, it’s been the most fun I’ve ever had writing a fic. At the beginning, it was just supposed to be a small AU fic. You know, an experiment. It ended up being a “War and Peace" length AU fic, as someone once said. 
> 
> Thanks to all who sent feedback and encouraged me to write this. Thanks to those who have been reading this since the beginning, since December. God, I can’t believe eight months have gone by! Anyway, thanks. ;) You guys are GREAT! 
> 
> I’d like to thank all those you inspired me to write an AU. I never thought I’d be writing an all human fic, but after reading RWP’s Pride and Prejudice I realised that AU fics actually work. That it’s not just the fact that Buffy is a Slayer or Spike is a vampire that define them. So thanks so much to RWP for writing P&P which I still think is one of the best fics out there (AU or non-AU), regardless of the controversy surrounding the ending (which I like!). Also, I’d like to thanks Kantayra for writing Blue Horizon, an equally amazing story which made me fall in love with the AU world even more. Thanks to Sweetie for writing Anything but Ordinary which has kept me inspired during the rough times during and after the BtVS season finale. 
> 
> A very special thanks to Spuffy Archives which started it all and fuelled the AU love all around. You guys are AMAZING! The work you do at the site is INCREDIBLE! 
> 
> And finally, last but not least, my great beta-mom, Ali, without whom I wouldn’t even have written this. I was kinda unsure over actually writing it and she was the one who told me ‘go for it!’ and so I did and voilá “A Touch of Jealousy" was written. Thank you so much, Ali, you’re AMAZING! You’re the world’s bestest (I know that’s not an actual word, no need to beta it ;) beta! Thanks!

Chapter 1   
  
“Honey! I think Willow is here!" Mrs. Summers called out from the kitchen.   
  
“I’m on it!" Buffy bellowed back as she hopped down the stairs taking two steps at a time. “Hey, Wills!" She greeted the redhead with a huge grin as she opened the door.   
  
“Hey! Xander, Cordy and Oz are waiting in the van. Ready for some Bronzing?"   
  
“Sure!" The blond grinned wildly. She loved Saturday night outings. “Just let me get my coat."   
  
She walked briskly into the living room and picked up her leather coat that was draped over the coach.   
  
“Angel’s meeting us at the Bronze. Let’s g-“ Buffy was cut off as the phone rang. “Hello?" She started as she picked up the receiver. “Angel, we were just talking about… What? What’s the matter? You’ve got the flu?" she paused and Willow watched as the smile on her face quickly crumbled. “Oh… Ok, then. Sure, don’t worry, just stay at home and… drink lots of fluids. No, I’ll stay home too; don’t really feel like going out if you can’t. Don’t worry, ok? Night." With a disappointed sigh she put down the receiver.   
  
“He’s not coming?" Willow dared to ask.   
  
“No. Apparently he’s got the flu." The blond answered disheartened.   
  
“Really? He looked fine yesterday at football practice." Willow noted.   
  
“Must have gotten it from the guys in the locker room or something. You know, sweating and all, then cold showers and such." Buffy tried to justify.   
  
“Yeah… must be it." The redhead replied unconvinced.   
  
“Well, I’m staying then, but you guys go." The blond said, head bowed and her lower lip jutting out for a pout.   
  
“No way! You’re coming with."   
  
“Willow, I really don’t feel lik-“   
  
“I don’t care, you need to have some fun. You know, relax through major, all night partying." Willow stopped when she saw Buffy’s eyebrow cock up. “O-Ok, maybe not all night, seeing as we are seniors in high-school and all but… you know, partying till curfew time." As she finished her enthusiastic speech, the redhead set her lips in a straight line to emphasize her resolve.   
  
“Willow, I-“   
  
“I won’t take no for an answer."   
  
Buffy took a deep breath and sighed loudly before speaking:   
  
“Ok, fine. I’ll go."   
  
~+~   
  
A cloud of thick smoke engulfed them as the five teenagers walked into the club.   
  
“Ah! The ever familiar and intoxicating air of the Bronze is entering my lungs. I can die a happy man now." Xander sighed as he sat around the nearest available table.   
  
“I hate this place." Cordy protested as she practically coughed her lungs out.   
  
“Oh, come on honey. It’s the Bronze. It’s where we-“   
  
“One more word out of you and you’re a dead man Xander Harris." The brunette threatened.   
  
“Okay." A small hissing sound came from Xander’s lips as he inhaled sharply, giving his girlfriend his best ‘you’re my queen and I shall do as you command’ look. "Shutting up now and heading toward the bar to get some much needed refreshments. Orders."   
  
“Soda."   
  
“Soda."   
  
“Soda."   
  
“Coke." Willow piped up with a huge grin plastered on her face.   
  
“Three sodas and a coke coming up."   
  
“Oh, oh… Let’s dance." The redhead said giddily as she took Oz’s hand and practically dragged him to the dance floor.   
  
“Ok, I think for my best friend’s sake and for all of us present I’ll make that four sodas. No more caffeine for her!" Xander quipped walking away, leaving Cordy and Buffy behind.   
  
An awkward silence filtered between the duo. The truth was that they didn’t really know each other all that well. They had belonged to completely different groups all through junior high. Cordy always belonged with the high and mighty *in* crowd while Buffy mingled with all the rest – mere mortals. It had been that way ever since she could remember, but it had changed during the last summer. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Xander and Cordy had announced that they were an item and ever since then they had been hanging out together. Buffy had come to realise that beneath her popular bitch/queen act, the brunette was actually someone worth knowing. Cordy seemed to have vague, fleeting episodes of humanity in her and that was always a plus. But even so, they had never really gotten a chance to ever have a normal conversation.   
  
So there they were, sitting together, staring into the crowd, trying hard to ignore the screaming silence between them.   
  
“So…" Cordy finally ventured. “Angel didn’t come?"   
  
“No, he’s home, sick. He’s got the flu." Buffy answered quickly.   
  
“Really? I just saw him earlier today, he seemed fine to me." Cordelia started.   
  
“Maybe it wasn’t him." Buffy offered.   
  
“Oh, I go to cheerleading practice every week, I’m pretty sure I can identify the starting quarterback of our school when I see him." Cordy countered.   
  
Buffy was about to answer when Oz and Willow returned. A strange look was plastered on the redhead’s face. She seemed even paler than usual.   
  
“Willow? Are you ok? What’s wrong?"   
  
“Oh, nothing. Maybe we should all just go home." Willow replied.   
  
“Go home?" Xander’s voice hovered over them as he set the bottles on the table. “We just got here."   
  
“But, we should just go. I-I’m tired and… I need to go." Willow’s mind searched frantically for an excuse.   
  
“You’re tired, you were just jumping your ass off on the dance floor, giggling like a madman and suddenly you’re tired and you wanna go home?" Buffy asked.   
  
“Exactly."   
  
“Willow, what’s wrong?" Buffy could easily read the fear and nervousness in her best friend’s eyes.   
  
“Nothing, lets just go." Willow insisted as she glanced out of the corner of her eyes.   
  
“Wills, what-“ Buffy stopped in mid sentence as she followed Willow’s gaze. Everyone in the table did the same.   
  
“Hey, isn’t that Angel? What’s he doing with that skinny ho? I thought you two were-“   
  
“Cordy, honey…" Xander interrupted his girlfriend. “Shut up."   
  
“Angel?" Buffy felt as if the ground had been ripped from under her feet.   
  
She didn’t want to believe her eyes. Angel, her Angel, the Angel that was supposed to be home, in bed, sick, was actually out on the dance floor, arms tightly wrapped around a tall, skinny woman, whose black hair cascaded down her back as she ground her hips against HER boyfriend.   
  
“What…" She couldn’t speak as the lump in her throat grew to the point she thought she couldn’t breathe anymore.   
  
“Buffy, I-I’m sorry… I…" Willow stuttered clumsily as she saw the pain plastered over her best friend’s face.   
  
Chapter II The petite blond watched as the skanky girl nibbled at Angel’s neck while he closed his eyes in a clear sign of pleasure. Slowly, Buffy recognized her; it was the odd vapid ho that hung out with that idiot, Spike and the Goth crowd in school – Dru. As the seconds melted away, the pain gave way to anger and rage.   
  
In a flash, Buffy was up and crossing the dance floor. With all the strength she could muster she gripped Dru by her scrawny shoulder and threw her across the floor.   
  
“What? Buffy? Wha-what are you doing here?" Angel stuttered like an idiot.   
  
“That’s my line!" Buffy growled. “You were supposed to be sick, remember? In bed, with a fever. Not here, groping this trashy ho while she’s sucking on your neck."   
  
“Hey!" Dru objected. Before she could say anything else, Buffy’s small hands were on her throat.   
  
The two fell to the ground in a violent catfight.   
  
“Buffy!" Willow called out. “Xander, do something?"   
  
“What…? Huh?" The young man snapped out of his daze as his brain overrode the ‘Girl fight, cool.’ sequence of his programming and entered the ‘Buffy’s in a fight, gotta help’ mode.   
  
Grabbing Buffy by her waist, Xander pulled her off a very bashed Dru who could barely sit up.   
  
“Let go of me!" Buffy yelled off the top of her lungs as she wildly kicked the air and her nails dug into Xander’s hand. “I’m gonna kill you!" She continued to bellow.   
  
“Calm down Buffy, this isn’t the way!" Xander tried to explain, but the petite blonde would have none of it.   
  
The rage cursed through her veins, her eyes flashed brightly with fury.   
  
“You’re insane!" Dru screamed as she finally managed to stand up with Angel’s help.   
  
“Get your hands away from-“   
  
“From who? From him?" Dru asked, the arrogance building up in her sharp English accent as she pointed toward the tall quarterback. “He hasn’t been yours for a long time now, sweetie. Do you really think that he would be satisfied with a puny little thing like you. Please. He’s been coming to me, to *my* bed, for months now. Guess you were… how did you put it, Angel? Hum… Frigid!" She hissed. “Did you really think that he’d stay with you? The star quarterback with some insignificant loser. Ha! I had to bite my lip every time I walked by you in school, just so I wouldn’t start laughing at just how incredibly pathetic you are."   
  
Buffy felt as if the air had just been sucked out of the room and she couldn’t breathe. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly as she tried to speak, but she couldn’t. All eyes were on her; she could hear the snickering and whispering in the background growing.   
  
“Angel…" she finally managed to whisper.   
  
He simply looked at the floor, never giving her a glance.   
  
“I… I… I have to go." Buffy breathed as she ran out of the club, tear threading down her cheeks.   
  
~++++++++++++++~   
  
The moment she passed the threshold of the large door she felt the burden of a hundred eyes on her. She felt like she was in one of those cheesy teen movies, walking in slow motion through the halls while everyone turned to gawk at her, a look of pity plastered on all those faces. She felt her stomach turn and her breakfast quickly crawling its way up her oesophagus.   
  
She slammed her hand against her mouth and made a run for the girl’s bathroom. Once there, she entered the nearest available stall and threw herself into it. Dropping limply next to the toilet, she vomited.   
  
“Uh… Gross!" A high pitch voice was heard from the next stall as the fairly recognizable sound of someone regurgitating filled the room.   
  
Buffy breathed heavily, her head still hovering over the toilet as she waited for the next wave of nausea to take over. She stayed there for a few minutes, waiting for everyone to clear out of the restroom. The ringing of the bell sounded and she imagined having to face all those people again.   
  
By now, the few students that hadn’t been at the Bronze to witness her total humiliation had already heard of all the sordid details.   
  
“God… I hate my life." She exhaled noisily as she banged her head against the door before standing up.   
  
Slowly, she turned the faucet and let the water run for a while before splashing her face with the crystal liquid. She looked up at the mirror to see her pathetic, soaked expression staring back at her. She shook her head and closed her eyes for a second, searching for the courage to leave that bathroom.   
  
“Let the slaughter begin." She mumbled pushing the door open and walking down the hall.   
  
“Why if it isn’t Miss goody two shoes?"   
  
She felt the pain in her belly increase drastically at the sound of the familiar London accent. Buffy stooped dead in her tracks, but never turned to face him, instead she waited for the black clad figure to circle her and stand in front of her.   
  
“Late for class are we? Now, what would good old mummy think of that, Betty?" The bleached teen mocked with fake concern in his voice.   
  
“It’s Buffy! What do you want, bleach-boy?" she hissed at him.   
  
“Me? Nothing. Just being polite." He answered with a cocky grin.   
  
“You? Polite? Ha!" she laughed forcibly as she restarted walking.   
  
He followed her.   
  
“So, what are you doing out of class?"   
  
She stopped and turned to face him with a frown.   
  
‘He doesn’t know?’ was the mantra in her mind as the cocky Englishman shoved his marble white hands into the pockets of his trademark black duster.   
  
“Why don’t you ask your skanky excuse for a girlfriend?" She quipped.   
  
“Hey! Don’t ever call Dru that!" Anger flashed in his eyes.   
  
“Why? That’s what you call people who go around stealing other people’s boyfriends." She held her chin up as she looked into his eyes.   
  
“What are you talking about, you bint?" He hissed back.   
  
“I’m talking about your *girlfriend* and my *boyfriend* having a major make out session in front of everyone at the Bronze on Saturday." She talked quickly as the images of that evening flashed before her eyes and served to fuel her anger.   
  
Suddenly, his hands were on her arms and she felt her back slam against the lockers. The bleached teen glared at her, teeth clenched tightly, highlighting his sharp cheekbones.   
  
“You better take that back." He hissed angrily.   
  
She swallowed hard as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat.   
  
“It’s true." She never lost face, the words coming out washed in despise and rage.   
  
“You’re lying!" he accused her.   
  
“Apparently, you didn’t know your *sweet* girlfriend has been boning *my* boyfriend." She answered back.   
  
He closed his eyes for a second as he tried to get his nerves under control and stop himself from beating this girl into a pulp.   
  
“You don’t believe me? Go ask your vampire wannabe of a girlfriend." She gathered her courage, grabbed his hands and forced him to let go of her arm. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got classes to go to."   
  
And with that she whirled around and quickly made her way to her next class.   
  
Chapter III   
  
“We need to talk." His voice was sharp and low as he grabbed Dru by her arm and dragged her to the nearest corner.   
  
“Spike! What-“   
  
“Is it true?" He interrupted her. “Please, tell me it isn’t true."   
  
“What isn’t true, Spike?" She asked with a soft voice as she ran her hand across his cheek.   
  
He closed his eyes for a split second before gripping her hand and pulling it away.   
  
“Answer me!" he ordered.   
  
She took a deep breath and sighed. Making an irritated face she answered simply:   
  
“Yes."   
  
“What?!" He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.   
  
“I’ve been with Angel. I was going to tell you-“   
  
“When? When everyone in school already knew about it and were laughing behind my back?" He growled.   
  
“I knew you wouldn’t understand." She sighed annoyed.   
  
“Bloody right, I don’t! Dru? You’re *my* girl." He said desperately.   
  
“Not anymore." She answered plainly.   
  
“But-“   
  
“It’s over Spike, I’m with Angel now. I’m sorry."   
  
She walked away, leaving him standing there.   
  
Buffy dragged her feet as she walked.   
  
“They’re all looking at me." She grumbled.   
  
“No, they’re not." Willow lied.   
  
“Willow, I’m not blind or deaf." The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed as she plopped her tired body on the chair setting her tray on the table.   
  
“It’ll all blow over in a couple of weeks, when they get another thing to gossip about." Oz offered, looking at his plate and trying to identify which of the mounds were the mashed potatoes and which were the meatloaf. He had the feeling that by the end of high school all they would have would be a large puddle of unrecognisable organic matter for lunch.   
  
“I really hope- Oh, God no!" She breathed as she saw Angel walking into the cafeteria, his arms draped across Dru’s skinny form.   
  
“Buffy, just calm down."   
  
“God, I swear, by the end of the year I’m gonna break something off of him." The blonde hissed between clenched teeth as she furiously pounded her fork into her food.   
  
“Um… Buffy?" Oz called with his usual monotonic voice. “I’m pretty sure they don’t serve live animals in American high schools for lunch. It’s probably against a whole bunch of laws so, no need to kill it."   
  
“What?!" Buffy looked at her plate and realised that she had just spread the food all over the table. “Um... sorry. I think I’ve lost my ap-"   
  
A loud banging sound was heard as the trio turned, just in time to see Angel crash into Jonathan, sending them both spiralling over the freshly waxed floor. A very pissed Spike hovered over them.   
  
“You stay away from Dru." He growled.   
  
Quickly, Angel stood on his feet and towered over the shorter boy.   
  
“Or what?" the quarterback shot back.   
  
Spike’s answer came in the form of a punch and soon someone was yelling off the top of their lungs:   
  
“Fight!"   
  
Masses of testosterone driven teens screamed and cheered enthusiastically, coming to circle the fighting pair as the two exchanged hard blows.   
  
“What is going on here?" A loud booming voice was heard and everyone turned to see principal Snyder standing by the door.   
  
The crowd quickly dispersed to reveal two bloodied up boys frozen in position.   
  
“You two…" He started, the intense pleasure evident as he spoke. “Are getting detention for a week. Now, move it. In my office."   
  
The two boys still had time to exchange a dirty look as they untangled themselves and walked after the short, bald man.   
  
~+~   
  
“Poor Spike." Willow sighed as she sat on the bench next to Xander.   
  
“Poor Spike? What about me? Publicly humiliated at the Bronze, remember?" Buffy protested as she walked around in circles in front of her two best friends.   
  
“Oh, you too, but…Spike, well… you know, he’s been crazy about Dru ever since I can remember and to see his long time girlfriend going around smooching with Angel can’t be giving him any happy, fuzzy bunny feelings." Willow tried to explain.   
  
“Who cares about Spike and happy, fuzzy bunny feelings? He’s an idiot and he probably got what he deserved." Buffy grumbled under her breath.   
  
“As much as I love to despise that bleached foreign freak I have to agree with Willow on this one. Spike’s always been head over heels for Dru; he worships the ground she walks on. No, actually any ground in the near vicinity of that girl!" Xander corrected himself.   
  
Buffy’s response was a heavy sigh paired with an annoyed roll of her green eyes.   
  
“They’ve been together ever since Spike moved here, like two years ago, and you and Angel have only been dating since this summer, you can’t comp-“ Seeing the deadly look the petite blonde was shooting at him, Xander quickly added: “Ok, shutting up now for fear of seriously irreparable head trauma."   
  
Exhaling sharply, Buffy plopped on the bench, between Xander and Willow.   
  
“God, I hate this school." She grumbled.   
  
“Buffy, you…" Willow trailed off as she saw a fairly battered Angel walk out into the patio.   
  
Buffy and Xander glanced in the direction of the redhead’s frozen gaze to see Dru running hysterically towards the tall quarterback, wet handkerchief in her hand, ready to nurse Angel’s bleeding lip.   
  
“Kill, kill, kill, kill…" Buffy whispered the demonic mantra, which her friends easily picked up.   
  
The entire patio came to a screeching halt as they saw the infamous bleached Brit walk out a few moments after the quarterback. Everyone froze to see what would happen. Those who expected a big scene or another bloody fist fight were clearly disappointed as Spike simply glanced at the couple and walked away with a bowed head as he dug nervously into the pockets of his duster, clearly in need of an extra dose of nicotine.   
  
“You can seriously tell me you don’t feel sorry for the poor guy?" Willow asked incredulous.   
  
“Hum… No?" Was Buffy’s sarcastic answer. “I’m too occupied with hating Angel and that skanky ho to feel any sort of empathy for anyone, specially not that bleached idiot."   
  
“Why do you hate him so much?" the redhead questioned. She had never quite understood it.   
  
“Ok, need I remind you the first time I met him was when he was pulling my pony tail and screaming off the top of his lungs ‘Fake blond ahead, danger, danger.’ ?"   
  
Willow’s eyebrows came together in a painful frown as she remembered the petite blonde’s humiliation.   
  
“Plus he’s so full of himself, and cocky and annoying as hell with that ridiculous accent and stupid bleached head. And what’s with those absurd Billy Idol wannabe outfits? Plus those bizarre combat boots and old as hell duster and… stupid accent. He’s and idiot!" she finished her clearly negative description.   
  
“You said ‘stupid accent’ twice." Xander noted with a grin, but it soon crumbled as Buffy narrowed her eyes at him.   
  
“I just don’t like him that’s all. He’s made my high school life a living hell since he first came here two years ago." Buffy stated as the bell rang and the trio stood up and walked to their classes.   
  
Chapter 4 Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) The days passed and eventually the looks thrown in Buffy’s direction lessened. She walked briskly through the halls, clutching her books against her chest as she looked at her watch. She sighed in relief when she reached her destination and stood quietly peeping through the hole between the large stands. She still caught the last 5 minutes of football practice, cursing under her breath the entire time as she watched the star quarterback run through the field.   
  
“Buffy, there you are!" Willow sighed in relief.   
  
The petite blond jumped up hitting her head on the stand above her.   
  
“Ouch! Willow, what’re you doing here?" Buffy grumbled as she scratched the sore spot on her skull.   
  
“Watching you torture yourself into insanity." Willow stated tilting her head towards the field.   
  
“I-I wasn’t… I…" She tried to explain but it was no use, she got caught.   
  
“You’ve been following Angel around for weeks now, you have to move on." The redhead pleaded.   
  
“I’ll move on when I see him on his knees begging me for forgiveness." Buffy set her mouth in a straight line to show her resolve.   
  
“You still want him back, don’t you?" Willow asked.   
  
“What? No!" The blonde teen answered truthfully. “I just want to seen him suffer and grovel at my feet so I can tell him ‘You’ve missed your chance.’" An evil revengeful glow sparkled in her eyes as she spoke, clearly envisioning her moment of triumph.   
  
“Buffy…" Willow tried to reason with her, but Buffy started walking away.   
  
“Don’t even try to talk me out of this one. I’ll find a way to get him, and until I do I’ll just follow him!"   
  
~++++++++++++++++~   
  
She walked quietly several feet behind him so she would remain unnoticed. She already knew where he was going. It was Friday night, he was obviously going to pick her up. Bastard!   
  
As the dimly lit house came into view, Buffy left the sidewalk and hid behind the tall bushes. She heard the unnatural rustle of leafs and looked up at the nearest tree.   
  
“Oh, God! What a freak!" She whispered to herself at the sight of a bleached teen moving between branches, straining to see what was going on on the front porch of the house.   
  
She picked up a long stem and reached up to poke the Brit on the ass. Startled, Spike lost his balance and tumbled down the tree, falling on his ass with a thud.   
  
“What was that?" They heard Angel ask.   
  
“Probably just the cat." A clearly feminine voice answered. It was Dru.   
  
Spike looked up to see Buffy cockily towering over him.   
  
“You’re pa-“   
  
A flash of anger coursed through him and in a blink of an eye he was up, his hand covering her mouth his body crushing hers against the tree he had just fallen off of. They glared silently at one another till Spike felt a sharp pain in the palm of his hand and instinctively pulled his hand away from her mouth.   
  
“Ouch!" He hissed as he checked his hand for any sign of injury. Sure enough he found a small, but deep and flaming red bite mark. “You bit me!"   
  
“You’re pathetic, you know that?" She hissed at him. “Skulking in the dark and spying on your ex.   
  
“I’m pathetic? You mean to tell me you’re not here because you’ve been following the big poofter back there?" Spike countered tilting his head towards the house.   
  
“I-I…"   
  
“You think I don’t know you’ve been walking around the school following him everywhere?" He asked with a cocky grin.   
  
“Well at least I don’t go around climbing trees and making poor little lost puppy eyes every time I see my ex." Buffy hissed triumphantly.   
  
“I’m love’s bitch and I’m man enough to admit it." He confessed proudly raising his chin.   
  
Buffy had no quick comeback for that one, so she settled for a pathetic:   
  
“Crazed stalker."   
  
“I love Dru, I’ve always loved her, ever since I can remember. I’m not gonna lose her to some Yankee ponce." He stated .   
  
“Oh, now that’s just sad." The blonde looked at him with pity.   
  
“Like you’re not dying to have you’re big, greased poof back. All he’d have to do is ask and you’d be parting your knees for him." He growled. But he didn’t have much time to gloat at his not so witty comment as he felt an excruciating pain take over his entire body as her knee connected with his groin.   
  
“Pig!" She snorted, seeing him fall limply to the ground, clutching his privates as he repressed a much-needed howl.   
  
She turned on her heels and walked away.   
  
~+++++++++++++++~   
  
Willow hugged her books against her chest as she walked side by side with Buffy and Oz. She took in a deep breath, exhaling sharply as she entered the familiar building.   
  
“Ah… Monday! Don’t you just love it?" She asked with a huge satisfied grin on her face.   
  
Under heavy eyelids, the blonde threw a glance in her best friend’s direction before shaking her head and sighed audibly.   
  
“You’re in serious need of psychiatric treatment, you know that, right?"   
  
“What? I like school, so?" The redhead shrugged.   
  
“My point exactly. Liking school is one of the clear signs of a very obscure neurological dysfunction that destroys the part of your brain that enables you to distinguish between fun and hard, bad work." The blonde theorized.   
  
Willow’s right eyebrow cocked up and Buffy continued with a serious tone:   
  
“It’s true. There’s a part of any teen’s brain where we have defined the following logical equation: fun equals good, school equals bad, bad and good are opposites therefore school is the opposite of fun. Hence," Buffy shook her head emphatically “no happy faces and deep content sighs on Monday mornings, especially at nine am. It’s considered highly pathological otherwise."   
  
Willow’s brow furrowed further and she finally asked:   
  
“Who are you and what have you done with Buffy?"   
  
The blonde sighed heavily and replied:   
  
“I couldn’t sleep last night. Again! So I stayed up late watching the Discovery channel. Big show on Psychology and Logics, hence the whole theory. Don’t worry, it’ll probably go away in- Spike!" Buffy stopped her explanations as a bleached teen stood in her way and blocked her path.   
  
“Need to talk to you, Betty!" He said with a dry voice, throwing a glance towards Willow and Oz.   
  
“It’s Buffy." She hissed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. “And I can’t now, I have classes." She tried to move around him, but he took a step and once again was towering over her.   
  
“It won’t take long." He grumbled.   
  
It was clear he didn’t want to be there. He scanned the hall and saw the several frowns that surrounded them. It was easy to understand why. Everyone at that school knew the seething hatred that the blonde pair nurtured for one another. Obviously, they expected the usual shouting, swearing and occasional fists flying that usually developed within five minutes of the two being within five feet of each other. This time it wasn’t happening. Why? All the students wondered as they watched Buffy sigh and signal Willow and Oz to go on without her.   
  
“What do you want, bleached-wonder?"   
  
“Talk to you." He explained.   
  
“I’m here. Talk."   
  
“Not here." He frowned, throwing evil glances at all the students that stared at them, before grabbing Buffy by her arm and dragging her out of there.   
  
  
  
Chapter 5   
  
“Ouch! That hurts!" She protested, trying to pull her arm out of his grip but failing. “Let go!" she practically screamed as they rounded a corner and reached the back of the school.   
  
He came to a halt and let go of her arm.   
  
“That hurt, you troglodyte." She grumbled rubbing her sore arm. She continued a string of curses as she realised that the next day she would have finger-shaper bruises on her bronze skin from his not too delicate handling. “Stupid, idiot, foreign, brainless oaf."   
  
“Are we done with the cursing, luv?" He asked annoyed.   
  
“No! You’re also a Neanderthal and stop calling me luv." She protested again. “What do you want?"   
  
“Dru back." He answered simply.   
  
She paused for a second before speaking.   
  
“Ok, I realise you’re a bit slow and all but…" She began to speak slowly, exaggeration in the articulation of the words: “I. Am. *Not*. Dru." She tilted her head towards him, as if trying to ascertain if he had understood her.   
  
“Oh, Dru you’re *definitely not*." He said with a sarcastic tone, which made the petite blonde flinch.   
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?"   
  
“Let’s not go down that road." He quickly tried to change the subject. If he wanted Buffy’s help, offending her was definitely not the way to get it. “I think we can help each other. You want your big ponce back, I want Dru, we should join forces." He concluded.   
  
“Two things: I would never, ever join *anything*with you and I don’t want Angel back. I just want him to contract a very painful venereal disease that involves the decaying and falling off of his private parts." She finished her statement with a huge plastic grin.   
  
Spike couldn’t help but wince at the description. Shaking himself out of that bad place in his mind he spoke:   
  
“You don’t want Angel? You’ve been following him everywhere since you broke up." The bleached teen pointed out the obvious.   
  
“Just until I find the best way to inflict maximum pain to that cheating bastard." She explained harshly.   
  
Spike paused for second, pondering the new development. Annoyed, Buffy sighed and began to walk away.   
  
“How about having him head over heels for you again?" He offered.   
  
She cocked an eyebrow, coming to a halt:   
  
“I’m listening."   
  
“I can help you get him back. Even if you show him you don’t want him, he’ll be grovelling at your feet." He started to explain.   
  
“Grovelling is good." She said simply as she waited to hear the rest of the plan.   
  
“And at the same time I can get Dru back."   
  
“So what do I have to do?" She enquired.   
  
“Pretendtobemygirlfriend." He said in one breath.   
  
“What?!" she yelped. “Has all that bleach finally sunk into your brain and caused irreparable damage?" She questioned incredulous.   
  
“The moment the 2 of them see us together they’ll go nuts with jealousy. Dru still loves me I know it." Spike quickly explained.   
  
“What about Angel?" She cocked her head.   
  
“He never could stand seeing me and Dru happy. That’s why he’s after her. If he sees me with you, he’ll want you."   
  
“You’ve hit your head recently, haven’t you?" She asked sincerely.   
  
“No. I’m telling you it’ll work. Trust me. I know Angel."   
  
“Trust? You? Oh you’ve definitely lost it pal." She laughed.   
  
Growling, the bleached teen reached into his pockets and took out a pack of cigarettes, bringing one to his lips and lighting it.   
  
“Hey, hey, hey! No smoking!" She grabbed the cigarette, which dangled from his mouth and dropped it to the floor twisting the sole of her shoe on it.   
  
Spike gave her an evil look, and it was clear he was doing all he could to keep himself from ringing her pretty little neck.   
  
There was a moment of silence. Buffy scanned the outlying football field recognizing the form of the quarterback. In the distance she saw a black clad figure clapping hysterically at each successful pass the teen performed. She felt her stomach twist in disgust. Without turning to look at the bleached boy behind her she asked:   
  
“What do I do?"   
  
“Hang out with me. People have to see us together, holding hands, hugging and such." Spike explained.   
  
“No, nooooo way it hell!" She shook her head emphatically waving her arms around in a clear sign of disagreement as she turned to face him. “I’m not touching you!"   
  
“You don’t see me hopping around singing ‘oh, joy! Oh, joy!’ either, luv."   
  
“Ok, deal." She agreed reluctantly. “But we hang out with *my* crowd."   
  
“What? No!" It was his turn to shake his head.   
  
“I’m not going anywhere near your monochromatic, Goth pals. No way and that’s final. We do it my way or it’s off." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and set her lips in a straight line waiting for his answer.   
  
Eventually, he gave up and shaking his head mumbled:   
  
“Fine, we’ll do it you’re way."   
  
“Good. When do we start?"   
  
“Hum… tomorrow?"   
  
“Ok, tomorrow we’re officially a couple."   
  
“One more thing. No one can know about our little deal or it’s off." He warned her.   
  
“Sure. Otherwise it would defeat the whole purpose of it, now wouldn’t it?"   
  
“Just making sure. No telling Red, or the whelp or anyone!"   
  
“What? Willow’s not gonna tell anyone."   
  
“I don’t care. No one can know."   
  
“But…"   
  
“No buts, blondie."   
  
“Fine!" She agreed looking at her watch. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed. “I’m late!" looking up at him with a deadly gaze she added: “This is all your fault. I hate you!"   
  
“Same here!" He shouted after her, watching her run to her next class.   
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  
She exhaled sharply as she entered the house, dragging her aching feet on the floor plopping down on the couch with closed eyes and sighing. Her heavy eyelids shot open when she heard a deep male laughter coming from the kitchen.   
  
“Mom…" she whispered to herself, forcing her tired body to stand.   
  
As she reached the threshold of the tiled room her jaw fell to the floor. There, around the isle, sat her mom and…   
  
“Spike?" She asked incredulous.   
  
The Brit muffled his laughter at the sight of the petite blond.   
  
“What are you doing here?" Buffy inquired as she noticed the mug of hot chocolate set in front of Spike.   
  
“You’re friend William came by to get your notes from English class." Joyce explained standing and walking toward the counter, picking up a kettle. “More hot chocolate?"   
  
“William?" Buffy mouthed the name and could barely refrain from laughing.   
  
The blonde shot her a dirty look before answering her mom.   
  
“No thanks, Mrs. Summers. I’ll just get those notes from Buffy and I’ll be on my way."   
  
He stood up as he spoke, walking towards Buffy and discreetly, wormed his long fingers around her arm, dragging her to the hall.   
  
“William?" She repeated, this time she wasn’t able to suppress the chuckle.   
  
“What?" He grumbled.   
  
“Sorry, just forgot you were William. It’s just such a…" Buffy pondered her words. “… delicate name."   
  
Spike forced a plastic smile on his lips for a glimpse of a second before snarling:   
  
“What’s wrong with William?"   
  
“Nothing. Just forget it." Buffy shook her head. “What do you want, bleach boy?"   
  
“We have to talk about tomorrow."   
  
Buffy looked over his shoulder and noticed her mom straining to hear what they were saying. She tilted her head toward the stairs and made her way up, with Spike following her close behind.   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6   
  
“Speak." She said entering her bedroom.   
  
Spike remained silent for a moment, scanning her room. A cocky grin settled on his lips as he saw a stuffed pig on her bed.   
  
“What?" she asked annoyed.   
  
“Nothing." He mumbled, shaking his head.   
  
“So, what about tomorrow?" She sighed audibly.   
  
“We have to figure out the details."   
  
“Such as?"   
  
“What do we tell your buddies?" he offered.   
  
“That a piano landed on my head and suddenly going out with you doesn’t seem as revolting as it should?" She quipped looking up at him with a boastful grin.   
  
“You’re cracking me up, luv." He grunted sarcastically.   
  
Sighing heavily, she let herself fall on her bed.   
  
“I don’t know what to tell them." She mumbled as she stared up at the ceiling.   
  
“Well, we have to come up with something convincing."   
  
She turned her head towards him and made a face.   
  
“I don’t think this is such a good idea anymore."   
  
“Oh, come on, Betty! You can’t back out now. It’s just for a few of days. If I can stand it so can you. I mean, don’t you want to have the poof grovelling and drooling over you. Just imagine him on his knees begging for you to come back to him and you telling him to get a life in front of the whole school." Desperation was clear in his voice.   
  
Images matching the description the blonde had made flashed before her eyes and she felt the overwhelming rush of power and vengeance course through her veins. She exhaled sharply and sat up on the bed.   
  
“Ok! I’ll do it." She agreed, causing Spike to sigh in relief. “But first you are definitely going to have to memorise my name. It’s Buffy. Get it through that bleached head of yours. Bu-ffy. It’s not that hard."   
  
He nodded and sat down on the bed next to her.   
  
“Now… about the guys. I’ll just tell them that… I changed my mind. I don’t know. I’ll just say that…" She looked up at the ceiling as she pondered. “I got it!" She piped up triumphantly. “I’ll say that I was being mugged and that you came in the nick of time and saved me. Brilliant!" She congratulated herself.   
  
“And you think they’ll buy it?" He asked a bit suspicious of their plan.   
  
“They’ll have to." She shrugged. “Now, one thing’s important, we can’t just announce all of a sudden that we are… you know…" Her index finger danced between them , alternating between pointing at him and at herself.   
  
“Snogging?" Spike offered.   
  
“Yeah." Buffy rolled her eyes. “It’ll have to take time. Be gradual. Otherwise no one’s gonna go for it. I mean, everyone at that school knows we hate each other’s guts."   
  
“But that way it’ll take forever." Spike protested.   
  
“I know Willow and Xander, they won’t go for it if it’s any other way." She insisted.   
  
“Fine." Spike reluctantly agreed. “So what do we do tomorrow."   
  
“We take it slow. You’ll sit with us at lunch. Something like that. No touching, no nothing. Just friendly talking."   
  
“What do we talk about?"   
  
“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out as we go along."   
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  
Joyce Summers let out a deep sigh as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They were out of her room, finally. Thank God! She was really starting to feel very uncomfortable with her daughter being in a room alone with a teenage boy.   
  
“So, did you get the notes?" She tried to act nonchalant about it.   
  
“What?"   
  
“The notes you needed from Buffy?"   
  
“Oh, those! Yes, Mrs. Summers." Spike answered promptly.   
  
An awkward silence filtered between the three and Buffy was the one to break it:   
  
“Well, you gotta go do that… thing. Don’t you?"   
  
“Hum… Yeah! I do. Gotta go. I’m actually late." He said quickly heading for the door. “Thanks for the hot chocolate, Mrs. Summers and good evening."   
  
Buffy closed the door behind him and turned to jog up the stairs when she heard her mom clear her throat in the international Mom-daughter code for ‘We need to talk’. Sighing audibly, the teen came down the steps and entered the kitchen after her mother.   
  
“Buffy, what was your idea taking that boy up to your room? I mean, he’s a nice boy and all, but you know what I’ve told you about boys in your room. It’s strictly forbidden, I don’t-“   
  
“Mom, calm down. We weren’t doing anything. I promise." Buffy guaranteed. “We were just talking."   
  
“It doesn’t matter, you can’t have boy in your room. You never know what might happen and…"   
  
“Believe me, nothing was or will ever happen between me and Spike. I guarantee you. I’m *definitely* not his type." Buffy tried to explain to her mother.   
  
“What do you mean not his type?" Joyce enquired.   
  
“Just trust me on this one." Buffy spoke as she recalled the strange affection the bleached teen had for Dru. She had never really understood it. It just seemed psychotic, he followed her everywhere, was constantly concerned with her well being, papering her and doing everything she asked of him. It seemed like an obsession. “I’m definitely *not* his type."   
  
“Oh!" Her mother brought her hand to her lips as a realisation struck her. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know he was…" Joyce pondered her words carefully.   
  
“He is mom." Buffy admitted, as she thought her mom was referring to his being totally head over heel over another girl.   
  
“Oh, in that case it’s ok." Joyce agreed as she returned to her dishwashing.   
  
“What’s ok?"   
  
“Him being in your room. If he’s gay he’s like a… girlfriend."   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened.   
  
“What? Mom, he’s not-“   
  
She was cut short as the phone rang. Quickly she went to pick it up, making a mental note to talk to her mom and make sure she got things straightened out.   
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  
Willow mindlessly shovelled her food around in her plate, her eyes scanning the cafeteria. Suddenly, they widened as she saw a certain bleached teen heading their way and eventually sitting next to Buffy, dropping his tray next to hers.   
  
“Hey!" he greeted.   
  
Everyone at the cafeteria froze, including Xander; his fork dangling from his lips.   
  
“Hey!" Oz calmly replied.   
  
Buffy braced herself as she noticed the questioning looks Willow and Xander were shooting at her.   
  
“Hello, Spike." She piped up in a low voice; her eyes never diverting from her plate. It wasn’t a very pretty sight, but at least it kept her safe from the hundreds of eyes that fell upon her.   
  
“So…" The Brit tried to start up a conversation, but it seemed impossible considering the near catatonic state Willow and Xander were in.   
  
“So…" Oz repeated. Outstretching his hand he introduced himself. “I’m Oz."   
  
“Spike." Spike replied shaking his hand.   
  
“I know." Oz stated.   
  
The silence at the table seemed heightened by the low whispering that now plagued the cafeteria.   
  
“Why are you here?" Willow finally managed to snap out of her daze.   
  
“Just felt like sitting with the damsel in distress here." Spike answered shovelling the food into his mouth.   
  
“Damsel in distress?"   
  
“Yep. Betty-“ Spike winced as Buffy kicked him under the table. “Hum… Buffy, here was being mugged on her way home and…" Spike glanced towards Xander only to realise that a fork was still dangling from his mouth. “Ok! That" he pointed at the boy. “Is really starting to freak me out. Is it normal?"   
  
Immediately, Xander pulled the fork out of his mouth and set in on the table.   
  
“Anyway, I happened to be passing by and was her knight in shining armour."   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7   
  
“You saved Buffy from being robbed?" Xander finally asked.   
  
“Oh, he can speak." Spike mocked sarcastically. “And yep. Beat him up real good. And he wasn’t small either. Big, beefy, six feet and a half. Huge, giant- Ouch!"   
  
He winced as Buffy once again aimed the heel of her boot to the sensitive flesh of his shin.   
  
“He’s exaggerating." The blonde intervened giving the table a wide, plastic smile.   
  
“No, I’m not. He was huge and he had a gun-“   
  
“No, he didn’t!" She cut him off shooting fireballs from her green eyes.   
  
“Yes, he did. You just didn’t see it." Spike insisted.   
  
“No, he didn’t."   
  
“Yes, he did."   
  
“No, he –“   
  
“Someone please stop them." Oz pleaded monotonically.   
  
“I-I think that the important thing is that you’re safe and nothing bad happened." Willow, ever the diplomat intervened.   
  
The two blondes eyed each other in disgust, eventually returning their attention to their plates. The rest of the meal was spent in an awkward silence.   
  
“Well, we better go." Buffy suddenly stood up as the stillness finally got to her.   
  
“Yeah. Classes and all." Willow agreed following Buffy and leaving the three men alone to stare at each other.   
  
  
  
~+~   
  
  
  
“What were you thinking?" Buffy shrieked as she strode quickly down the road.   
  
“I was just doing what you told me to." Spike defended himself as he quickened his pace to catch up to her.   
  
“Six feet and a half? And with a gun?" She stopped to look at him, incredulous.   
  
“What? So I embellished." He admitted.   
  
“Embellish? You call that embellish?" She asked with a frown. “I think you should buy yourself a dictionary because *that* was definitely not embellishing.   
  
Embellishing doesn’t even begin to cover it. I mean, do you honestly think that they would believe you. How dumb do you think they are?" She saw the cocky grin starting to spread over his lips and quickly added: “Don’t answer that."   
  
With a loud sigh she began walking again, her house coming into view at the horizon.   
  
“I wanted to make the story a little more interesting." Spike tried to explain himself.   
  
“Interesting? I thought we were aiming for believable." She snarled as she continued to make her way home without dispensing him a glance.   
  
They walked briskly and reached the front porch of her house.   
  
“Look, I’m sorry, alright?" He apologized.   
  
“Sorry?" She started but he interrupted her.   
  
“Ok, could you please stop repeating every word I say? It’s really starting to get to me."   
  
“Grrr…" She growled pushing the door open and entering the house.   
  
She stomped her way up the stairs and into her bedroom with Spike trailing behind. Her hand automatically reached for the hem of her shirt when she glanced at him with an annoyed look.   
  
“Do you mind? I’m trying to get undressed here."   
  
“Oh! Sorry, luv! I’ll just wait downstairs." Spike said awkwardly heading down the hall.   
  
  
  
~+~   
  
  
  
Angry footsteps echoed through the house as she made her way down the stairs.   
  
“What are you still doing here?" She asked as she saw the Brit sprawled on her couch, TV remote in his hands as he mindlessly flipped through the channels.   
  
“You’ve got cable." He noted without looking at her.   
  
“I know that. It’s my TV; it’s my living room, my house. What are you still doing in it?" Her words oozed with sarcasm as she stood there, arms folded over her chest.   
  
Spike turned his head and glanced at her before returning his attention to the screen.   
  
“We don’t have cable at home. Da thinks TV is a bad influence. Wants me to read books instead." He mumbled.   
  
Buffy stomped her way to the middle of the living room, standing between the Brit and the TV.   
  
“You’re blocking the view, luv." He grumbled looking up at her.   
  
“Glad you noticed, it was the point. What are you still doing here?"   
  
Sighing audibly, Spike sat up and turned off the TV.   
  
“Talk about tomorrow."   
  
“What about tomorrow? Spike, wake up. It’s over! It didn’t work." She tried to make him see.   
  
“Of course it did." He disagreed.   
  
“What reality were you in? Cause in mine people were staring at us like we were two green eyed freaks or something. Everyone knows we hate each other. It’ll never work." She maintained.   
  
“It’s going to work." Spike insisted standing up.   
  
“Ok. Which part didn’t you get? Cause I can explain it again if you need me to."   
  
“I need to make this work, Bet-“   
  
“IT’S BUFFY!" she screamed waving her hands in the air and trudging her way into the kitchen, leaving him behind.   
  
After a few seconds, the Brit was in the tiled room, leaning against the fridge.   
  
“I’m sorry." He mumbled.   
  
She just stood there, a warm mug of hot chocolate in her hands, watching him with an annoyed expression.   
  
“I need for this to work…" he started after swallowing hard. “I-I need her back. I need Dru with me or…" The words chocked in his throat.   
  
Somewhere, deep inside, she felt a hint of pity for the poor guy, but before she could stop herself, harsh words escaped her parted lips:   
  
“You’re not gonna cry, are you?"   
  
Spike froze, feeling as if someone had just punched him hard in the stomach. Looking up, he narrowed his eyes, instant anger flashing in them. Without a word, he turned on his heels and exited the house, slamming the door behind him.   
  
She stood there for a second, a pang of regret causing her to ponder going after him. In took a few seconds, but eventually it disappeared and she turned towards the sink to wash the cup in her hands.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 8   
  
Buffy let her head fall limply to the desk, while in the background Mrs. Finch’s monotonic voice rambled on about the importance of mining being reflected in the prevalence of Crown rights over mineral wealth throughout much of Europe.   
  
“God! Just kill me now and end my suffering." She mumbled between clenched teeth.   
  
As if someone had answered her prayer the bell rang out. In a flash, the petite blonde straightened up, looking wide eyed at the round clock up on the wall.   
  
“It’s miracle!" she sang out, gathering her books and stuffing them into her backpack. “I survived! Thank God this Friday’s over"   
  
“You really do hate history, don’t you?" The redhead asked as she waited for her friend.   
  
“More than anything in the entire world." Buffy answer as she walked out of the classroom followed by Willow. The small blond came to a halt as she saw the familiar bleached teen further down the hall. “Correction: it’s the second thing I hate most in the world."   
  
Willow sighed audibly as they made their way down the large corridor stopping by Buffy’s locker.   
  
“So we are back to hating Spike?" The redhead asked.   
  
“What?" the blond teen asked absentmindedly as she rummaged trough the contents of her locker.   
  
“Hating Spike. Back on the priority list?"   
  
“Oh, top priority! I’m definitely over my momentary lapse of reason on that one." she nodded emphatically handing her books to Willow. “Hold these for a second."   
  
“Good, cause that little episode in the cafeteria yesterday just seemed… wrong."   
  
Buffy smiled reaching to take the books back from her best friend when the conversation going on a few feet away from them caught her attention.   
  
“Come on, luv. Just for a second. I need to talk to you." Spike’s begging tone made Buffy’s stomach crunch up as she turned to see the blonde teen leaning on the row of lockers lined up against opposite wall of the corridor.   
  
She watched as the bleached Brit pleaded with an unyielding, black clad Dru.   
  
“Please, just for a sec. I just need to talk to you, luv. Please!" He practically implored while the dark haired girl remained unaltered, arms crossed over her chest, staring annoyed into nothingness, occasionally letting out a disgusted sigh.   
  
“Are you done yet? I told you Spike. It’s over I have nothing to say or hear from you. Get a life already, you’re starting to border on extremely pathetic." She spat out turning on her heels to leave while everyone in the hall eyed the public humiliation of the Brit. But he didn’t care. He needed to talk to her, get some sense into that pretty little head of hers, so he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.   
  
“Please, luv…" He begged once again.   
  
“Let go of me!" Dru bellowed freeing her arm from his grip. “I-“   
  
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you."   
  
The entire hall froze in place, watching the petite blonde snake her arms around Spike’s and give him a light peck on his chiselled cheek. Turning to Dru with a wide grin on her face Buffy greeted politely:   
  
“Hey, Dru!"   
  
The dark haired girl’s response was a deep frown, while Spike simply gawked at the small that now held hands with him.   
  
“Well, we better go." She said, practically dragging a dumbstruck Spike by his hand as she made her way down he hall. “Bye, Dru." She waved lightly at Willow as she passed her by. “Bye, Willow. I’ll call you later."   
  
The redhead was left behind, gawking at the odd couple, her jaw glued to the floor along with everyone else’s.   
  
~+~   
  
Her arms snapped away from his the moment her feet touched the concrete on the other side of the street, away from prying eyes. She cringed a bit and doubled her pace as she noticed the bleached teen still staring at her. After a few painfully silent steps she came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him.   
  
“What?" Buffy asked trying to sound as annoyed as she could, but the dominant emotion in her was definitely unease.   
  
He cocked his head and his lips curled to one side for a light smile. Nodding, he said softly, setting his mouth in a straight line:   
  
“Thanks, luv."   
  
She was a bit thrown by his reaction, it actually bordered on sincere. This was novelty. She shook her head nervously as if trying to push down the strange feeling that crept up her spine.   
  
“You’re welcome, but don’t expect me to do that for you again anytime soon. I can feel a strange allergic reaction coming just from touching you." She tried to sound convincingly disgusted but failed miserably and she could tell he wasn’t buying it as his trademark smirk crept over his lips.   
  
He shoved his hands into his pockets and restarted to walk alongside her.   
  
“Whatever you say, pet."   
  
“And don’t call me pet!" She snapped at him as a deep frown settled over her eyebrows in a frustrated attempt to emphasize her discontentment.   
  
“Sure, luv."   
  
There it was again! On his face! That stupid, obnoxious, cocky grin that was making her… nervous? What?! No! Stupid, obnoxious, cocky grin was supposed to make her angry, disgusted not… nervous. Never nervous. Buffy kicked herself mentally as she realised too much time had passed since his last reply for her to come up with a successful comeback. “Stupid distracting grin!" she thought to herself as she kicked a pebbled that laid in her path.   
  
Once again they walked in a nerve-racking silence, making her fidget with the straps of her coat. Suddenly, she whipped her head around to face him.   
  
“Why are you here?" She asked out of nowhere.   
  
“Because my da and mom were really horny about 18 years ago?" He offered with a smirk.   
  
“Stupid, distracting… Concentrate!" She scolded herself mentally.   
  
“Oh, you’re funny!" She replied sarcastically.   
  
He smiled at her and eventually answered her question, matter-of-factly:   
  
“Walking my girlfriend home."   
  
Somehow, that simple phrase made it impossible for her to control her breathing and swallowing at the same time and she was practically coughing her lungs out as she choked.   
  
“Are you ok, luv?" He asked a bit concerned as he watched her bend over, trying hard to breathe.   
  
At his question, she looked up at him, flushed face, shooting daggers at him.   
  
“Don’t *cough*… call me *cough*cough*…"   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as another onslaught of coughs took over her.   
  
“Here. Drink some of this." Spike handed her a silver flask and without thinking the petite blonde tilted into her mouth, spilling its contents down her throat.   
  
It took a few seconds for her brain to register the strong burning sensation that seemed to smoulder down her entire oesophagus. Instantly, she dropped the flask and restarted another coughing fit. Spike watched in panic as the petite blonde’s face changed from red, to purple, to blue and finally back to infuriated scarlet as she began to scream at him:   
  
“ARE YOU INSANE? WHAT THE HELL WAS IN THAT THING?"   
  
“I-“   
  
“Do you want to kill me? Is that it? I know we hate each other but…" The anger built so far up that she wasn’t even able to construct coherent, logical sentences anymore, so she simply started to march her way down the street and up the steps of her front porch with a panicked Spike trailing closely behind.   
  
Chapter 9   
  
Spike watched with a deep frown over his eyebrows as Buffy, with her head tilted backwards, vigorously gargled before spitting into the kitchen sink. She turned to face the bleached teen with a disgusted look still plastered all over her face.   
  
“God, I can’t-“ spit “get that horrible" spit “taste out of my mouth." She whinged, moving towards the refrigerator.   
  
She quickly picked up the first available bottle, tilted its content into her mouth, gulping loudly as the liquid passed her throat. Setting the glass on the table she waited for a second, smacking her lips together and cringing as she realised the awful taste was still in her mouth. It was no use and with a resounding sigh she plopped down on a nearby stool.   
  
Spike remained at the doorway, leaning slightly into the wooden frame there. After a few moments, Buffy looked upwards throwing him a murderous glance.   
  
“I hate you." She grumbled as she smacked her lips together once more.   
  
“Same here, Betty." He answered, crossing his arms over his chest.   
  
She opened her mouth to protest, but gave up half way. She was too tired. It was Friday afternoon and she’d had a full week, she just didn’t have the energy to spar with the annoying Brit. So she chose to remain there, perfectly still, occasionally letting out a sigh or two in the feeble hope that he might take a hint and simply leave. To her misfortune he did no such thing. On the contrary, in a sluggish pace, with the same exasperating grin plastered on his face, he made his way to the counter and took a stool opposite to hers.   
  
“What do you want, bleach boy?" She grumbled as she held her head between her hands, her fingers buried in her blonde strands, her eyes staring down at the white counter. Before he had a chance to answer, she let out a heavy a sigh and looked up to stare at him under hooded eyes. “Why do you insist in torturing me? Just go. Go. Away. Be free." She waved a tired hand at him, but he paid no attention to it.   
  
“You know it’ll work. That’s why you helped me out today."   
  
“No, I helped you out because the spectacle was just so painfully pathetic, that it just wasn’t fun to watch anymore." She replied, standing up, taking the bottle into her hand and placing it back in the refrigerator. She turned and leaned on its door as she continued: “Are you a masochist or something? Is that it? Cause I can’t understand why in God’s name you would put yourself through that embarrassing public humiliation just for her. What do you see in that skanky vapid-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as the bleached teen was on his feet and towering over her small form in an instant.   
  
“You hold your tongue when you talk about her." He growled between clenched teeth.   
  
A hint of fear sent a chill down her spine as she looked up at him, but her facial _expression never testified to it. Her strong, obstinate look was still on and it didn’t falter for a second, even though she couldn’t help letting out a small sigh of relief when he backed away moments after:   
  
“Look, I’m sorry… I- Just don’t talk about Dru that way." He finally managed to say as he moved back to the counter to lean on it.   
  
With her hands held up in the air in a sign of surrender she moved away from him and replied:   
  
“Fine."   
  
They stayed in an awkward silence for a few desperate minutes, both trying hard to find a topic that would put an end to their torment. Spike was the first to try:   
  
“So…"   
  
“So…" she replied.   
  
“What about the plan? Is it back… on?" He dared to ask.   
  
She couldn’t help but smile slightly.   
  
“You really like her that much, huh?"   
  
He simply nodded. It wasn’t necessary for him to say anything. Sighing once more, she shook her head as she couldn’t believe what she was about to say:   
  
“Ok. Fine. I’ll do it." She grumbled in a low voice.   
  
An instant spark flashed in his eyes.   
  
“What?" He asked incredulous.   
  
“Are you deaf or something?"   
  
He shook his head.   
  
“I said I’ll do it, ok?"   
  
In a flash he was off the counter and had his arms wrapped around her, smashing her small form against his chest in the process. Buffy froze, her paralyzed arms were glued to her sides, her blonde head popping out just over his elbows. She didn’t know what to say. She was in shock. Eventually, when she realised he wasn’t going to let go of her any time soon, she dared to pipe up:   
  
“Hum... Spike? What are you doing?"   
  
The simple question was enough to bring the teen down from his heightened emotions and in an instant he let her go, took a step backwards and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his duster in an awkward motion.   
  
“Sorry. Wasn’t thinking." He apologized.   
  
“Next time you have an euphoria-induced brain spasm, let me know, ok?" She said with a deep frown on her forehead.   
  
He simply nodded and slumped back onto the stool.   
  
“Why are you sitting down?" she asked, giving him a discontented glance, a perfectly shaped eyebrow cocking up.   
  
“Hum..." He mumbled confused. “We have to plan."   
  
“Plan what?"   
  
“What we are going to do tomorrow. You know. How we are supposed to act." He tilted his head to emphasize that he was stating the obvious.   
  
“Oh..." She frowned for a moment, pondering which would be the limits and finally answered: “We’ll walk together and hold hands." And with that she turned around and concentrated on washing the two dirty dishes that her mom had left in the sink.   
  
“Hold hands? That’s it?" He asked incredulous, coming to stand next to her.   
  
Buffy’s eyes were fixed on the plate she held in her hands. Scrubbing it incessantly as the nervousness took over.   
  
“Y-Yes." She replied in a faltering tone.   
  
“Oh, come on! Dru and Angel are never going to believe it if they don’t see some snogging." He protested.   
  
“Hey! I’m not going to-“ She struggled with the strange word as the jitteriness seemed to affect her ability to speak coherently. Finally, she managed to yelp as she shook her head emphatically: “There will definitely be no snogging. And there will be no one watching me and... you and... I- NO SNOGGING!" Her eyes dropped to the sink. ‘Damn it! No more dishes! What do I do now?’   
  
Spike smiled as he realised what she was thinking.   
  
“Snogging, luv. It means making out, french kissing. Nothing else."   
  
“Oh..." She sighed in relief when suddenly realisation came. “Wait! You want me and you to kiss? French kiss?!"   
  
Spike nodded.   
  
“Oooooh no! No way! I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole, let alone let you stick your slimy tongue down my throat. Yuck." Her face contorted and cringed in all sorts of ways as she walked about the room, nervously searching for something to occuppy herself with.   
  
“We’re just supposed to hold hands?! They’ll never believe it and you know it!" He insisted.   
  
“I. Am. Not. Kissing. You." She said flatly.   
  
“But-“   
  
“Take it or leave it!" She stood tall, her chin held high in a sign of resolve and he couldn’t help but sigh, shaking his head as he mumbled.   
  
“Fine... We’ll hold hands..."   
  
  
  
Chapter 10   
  
“What do you mean she walked away with him?" Xander asked incredulous, staring wide eyed at the redhead who walked alongside him.   
  
“I mean she just slid her arm around his and dragged him out of school ." Willow explained for the 100th time.   
  
“And you haven’t spoken to her the whole weekend?" The teen continued to question.   
  
“Nope. Tried to call her but no one answered."   
  
“But-“ Xander trailed off as the subject of their discussion came up from behind the duo.   
  
“Hey, guys." Buffy greeted with little enthusiasm.   
  
“There you are! Where were all weekend?" Willow questioned as they continued to walk down the hall.   
  
“Don’t ask. My mom’s maternal instinct decided to kick in full force this weekend. End result, some major mother/daughter bonding overload. Had to spend the whole time going through family photo albums, cooking and baking lessons. God! She even felt the need to chit-chat about those little fornicating birds and bees. If I have to her my mom say the word penis one more time I swear I’ll shoot myself." Buffy cringed as she remembered a few gory details.   
  
“Sorry to hear that." Willow gave her best friend a sympathetic look and Buffy sighed.   
  
Suddenly, looking more closely, she realised everyone in the hall was gawking at her.   
  
“Oh God! Do I have like a giant pimple on my face?" Buffy asked in a panic, to which Xander and Willow both shook their heads. “Then why is everyone staring at me?"   
  
“Maybe because of the weird Spike-loving event back on Friday afternoon?" Xander offered with a hint of sarcasm.   
  
“Oh, that..."   
  
“Yes, that! I thought we were back to “hating Brit boy’s boney ass" mode."   
  
“Well, we-“   
  
Buffy wasn’t able to finish her sentence as two strong, long arms wormed their way over her shoulders to settle over her waist and a hard chest now pressed against her back. ‘A definite male chest!’ Buffy mentally noted. Before her brain had time to question who it belonged to, a low, whispering voice in her ears gave her the answer.   
  
“Morning, luv."   
  
Buffy’s froze, her heart seemed to leap up to her throat, while Willow and Xander’s eyes were just about to pop out of their sockets.   
  
“Hey..." she greeted back with much less enthusiasm.   
  
She could feel herself blushing, her skin heating up. ‘God, this is just so strange. WRONG! WRONG! Go away! Don’t touch me! Yuck!’ A squeaking voice screamed in her head, but she forced it into the background as she put on her best imitation of a smile.   
  
“So, how are you?" She asked as she turned her head to face him, his arms still wrapped around her, her back still glued to his front.   
  
“I’m fine." The Brit answered.   
  
Buffy was suprised to find a perfectly calm and cool Spike grinning back at her. For a second she seemed to zone out and when she was back to full attention the last thing she heard was:   
  
“...do you have now?"   
  
“Huh...? What?" The petite blond asked, shaking her head as she realised she was still staring up at the teen who was now idly playing with the edge of her shirt. ‘Stupid distracting smirk!’ She thought as she turned to face Xander while Spike repeated his question:   
  
“What class to you have now, luv?"   
  
“Hum..." Buffy struggled with her memory, but for some strange, disturbing reason, the feel of his chest and his legs pressing against her back seemed to block all her thinking abilities. Thankfully, a life-saving Willow intervened.   
  
“We’ve got History."   
  
“Yes! History!" Buffy repeated as the bell rang.   
  
“Well, see you in third period. We’ve got English together, right?" Spike enquired as his arms slid away from her and his body untangled itself from hers.   
  
“Hum..." ‘Think stupid! Think!’ she ordered her brain. “Yes, I-I think we do."   
  
“See you later then." He shouted as he made his way down the hall, leaving three dumbstruck teens behind.   
  
“What. The Hell. Was that?" Xander tried to ask as calmly as he could manage.   
  
“Uh... It’s... Hum..." Buffy struggled. “We better get going, don’t want Mrs. Finch on our cases. See you later, Xander." She shouted as she quickly made her way to her next class, a confused Willow trailing behind her.   
  
“But-“ Xander was left standing in the middle of an empty hall as the two girls snuck into their class room.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy stared at the small, crunched up piece of paper lying on her desk. Written in small black letters, she read:   
  
“What was that all about?"   
  
She looked up and to her right to find a wide eyed Willow staring back at her.   
  
“Later." The petite blond mouthed.   
  
“Miss Summers!" Mrs Finch’s voice hovered over the class and everyone turned to gawk at the offending teen.   
  
“Sorry, Mrs. Finch."   
  
The elderly woman nodded slightly and returned to her dull rambling about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the social structure of the British society.   
  
When she realised she was off the hook, Buffy turned to whisper:   
  
“I’ll tell you later, I promise."   
  
~+~   
  
The bell rang and, in a flash, Willow was standing next to Buffy, books pressed against her chest, eyes staring widely at her friend, anxiously waiting for an explanation.   
  
“What’s happening, Buffy?" The redhead asked as her patience ran out.   
  
The petite blonde paused for a moment when she finished packing her books and looked up at her best friend. She really didn’t want to lie, but she had promised. The teen swallowed hard and, in one low and quickly breath, worded:   
  
“Spikesmyboyfriend."   
  
With that she quickly made her way to the door.   
  
“What?!" A stunned Willow shouted after her.   
  
Buffy never had a chance to answer as she entered the hall she bumped into someone, her books tumbling to the floor.   
  
“I’m sor-“ She stopped in mid sentence as she finished gathering her books and looked up to find a black clad Dru staring arrogantly down at her.   
  
“Watch where you’re going!" She snapped.   
  
“I said I was sorry." Buffy apologized as she stood up straight.   
  
With a chesty turn of her head, the black clad teen walked away, leaving the two best friends alone to talk.   
  
“Explain." Willow said simply.   
  
“Spike and I are going out." Buffy tried to sound as nonchalant about it as possible.   
  
“Since when?"   
  
“Since... Last Friday."   
  
“How?"   
  
“We figured out that we have a lot in common."   
  
“Like what?!" Willow promptly asked.   
  
“Like... I don’t know... A lot of stuff. Like..."   
  
“An intense reciprocated loathing for one another?" Willow offered with a hint of sarcasm.   
  
Buffy shook her head as she opened her locker.   
  
“I can’t explain it to you. We’re together now. Things changed."   
  
Willow opened her mouth to say something, but Buffy cut her off.   
  
“Just trust me, Willow. I know what I’m doing."   
  
And with that the bell rang and the two teens headed their separate ways.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy nervously tapped her pencil on her desk as she heard the teacher read the same poem for the second time. Every once in a while she dared to throw a glance in the bleached teen’s general direction and almost every time she found him scribbling something on his notebook. What did he write in that damned thing. Every Monday morning was the same thing. He’d come into class, sit in his place and just scribbled away the whole time. Could he be taking notes? In English class? Buffy shook her head as the ringing of the bell snapped her out of her thoughts. She was putting her books into her backpack when she saw someone approaching her from the corner of her eyes.   
  
“Ready to work on your acting skills, pet? Cause you sure as hell are long way from an award winning performance. What was all that staring about back in the halls, by the way?" He asked.   
  
“What staring? I don’t stare." Buffy said simply as she continued to stuff her things into the bag, before turning to leave the classroom.   
  
“Whatever." The teen sighed as he snaked his arm around her waist.   
  
“Hey!" she instinctively slapped his hand away from her.   
  
“You better get used to it, luv. Our overnight passion won’t look very believable if you keep jumping up every time I come near you, now will it?" He asked tilting his head.   
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed, taking his hand in hers she dragged him out of the classroom and into the hall where everyone turned to look at the odd couple.   
  
“They’re staring. They’ll never believe this." Buffy said between clenched.   
  
“They’ll believe it. Trust me, pet." He answered her in the same fashion.   
  
“This is a stupid plan. It’ll never work." She grunted stopping in front of her locker and opening it.   
  
“Will you stop being so- Your pals are coming our way." He warned her as he watched Willow, Oz and Xander coming down the hall.   
  
“Oh, great! More questions. God, I hate my life!" She grumbled as she closed the locker and turned to smile at her friends. “Hey, guys!"   
  
“Hey!" Xander greeted back, eyeing Spike as the bleached teen once again wormed his hands around Buffy’s waist.   
  
“How was Math?" Buffy asked as she tried to break the odd silence that began to form between the group.   
  
“Painful." Was Xander’s short answer.   
  
“Oh..."   
  
Silence. Incredibly uncomfortable silence. Oz was the only one who didn’t seem affected by the strange situation. He idly played with one of Willow’s auburn strands as he scanned the hall. It wasn’t hard to realise everyone was staring at the small group, especially the blond couple that was now holding hands.   
  
A general sigh of relief was heard as the bell rang.   
  
“Well, see you at lunch." Buffy said as she tried to walk away from the Brit but he held onto her hand:   
  
“I’ll walk you to your class."   
  
Xander threw the Brit a look. This was just... Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! And it was making him extremely nauseous. He swallowed hard as he watched the duo walk away.   
  
~+~   
  
They sat in silence, the entire cafeteria stared at their table.   
  
“So..." Cordelia was the one to break the stillness. She had been waiting the entire day to ask a question, ever since Xander had told her the news it had become an itch she was just dying to scratch. So, being Cordelia, she did: “Since when are you and Buffy here going steady?"   
  
The food that had been in Xander’s mouth was suddenly splattered all over his tray. The boy practically coughed out a lung as he heard his girlfriend’s blunt question.   
  
“I didn’t think the food here could look more disgusting than it already did. I was wrong." Oz stated monotonically as he looked at the mess displayed in front of Xander.   
  
Spike frowned watching the teen sitting oposite to him, who continued to have a coughing fit. With the most serious tone in the world the Brit asked:   
  
“Are you sure he’s house broken?"   
  
Buffy couldn’t help a smile as a bright red Xander looked up to shoot daggers at the bleached teen. After a few moments, after drinking about a gallon of water, the brunette was able to sit up straight and actually breathe. He stood up, picking up his tray and handed it to one of the cafeteria ladies before coming back to take his place between Cordy and Willow. The growingly familiar silence was back, until:   
  
“You and Buffy are an item, huh?" Cordelia’s voice hovered over the table, closely followed by a loud thud.   
  
Everyone turned to see Xander repeatedly bang his head against the table, muttering something unintelligible between clenched teeth. But this time the distraction wasn’t enough and Buffy was forced to answer:   
  
“Yes."   
  
“Why?" Cordelia promptly continued her interrogation.   
  
“Why?!" Now that was a smart question. Everyone who had dared to enquire about her choice of ‘boyfriend’ had asked something along the lines of – How, not why. “Well... He and I... and..." Buffy struggled for an explanation.   
  
“It’s physical!" Spike aka Night in Shining Armour stepped in. “She just couldn’t resist my darn sinister attraction." He said with the most serious tone in the world. “I think she fell for me when I saved her."   
  
“From being mugged?" Cordelia asked as she recalled her conversation with Xander on the subject.   
  
“Yep."   
  
Buffy just sat in her place, trying hard not to roll her eyes. ‘God! The nerve of some people!’ In her mind a string of curses was directed at the Brit, who now stretched his arm across the back her chair.   
  
Cordelia frowned a little but decided to accept the explanation, especially since her boyfriend was currently kicking her in the shin under the table and the resulting ache was starting to make itself known. They continued their lunch and this time the stillness between the group didn’t seem as dreadful or as uncomfortable as before.   
  
Suddenly, extreme silence took over the entire room as all the kids gawked at the entrance to the cafeteria. Buffy and Spike turned around to find the object of everyone’s attention and the two blondes couldn’t help but gulp as they watched Dru and Angel walk into the room. The two couples exchanged electrically charged glances as they remained perfectly still for a second. Everyone watched as the quarterback crossed the room towards the blond duo, his heavy arms draped over Dru’s shoulders. He came to a halt and looked down at the sitting couple.   
  
“Buffy." He greeted dryly. Turning to look at the bleached teen sitting next to the petite blond he practically spat: “Spike."   
  
“Angel. Dru." The Brit greeted back with a plastic smile as he possessively put his arm around Buffy.   
  
Silence. Everyone waited and watched.   
  
“Buffy, I have some of your notes back home." Angel started. “When do you want them back."   
  
“Keep them." Buffy answered dryly as she felt her stomach turn at the sight of Dru pressing herself against the quarterback’s large chest. Her hands traced suggestive patterns on his stomach as she shot Buffy a dirty look. “I don’t need them."   
  
The teen was taken by surprise by her cold and distant tone, but soon recovered. He stood up straight and mumbled:   
  
“Fine. Suit yourself."   
  
And with that he turned on his heels and left, dragging Dru with him.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 11   
  
As soon as she could, she made her way out of the cafeteria and ran as fast as she could to the nearest bathrooms, locking herself in the stall furthest from the door. She sat on the covered toilet, waiting for the adrenaline in her system to reach acceptable levels. The confrontation in the cafeteria had been too much, but she had to admit she was pretty proud of her reaction to the dark haired couple. She felt her stomach flip-flop at the memory of Dru haughtily clinging to Angel, trying as best as possible to let her know that he was now *her* property.   
  
“Arrogant little..." Buffy began between clenched teeth when she heard a light knock on the door.   
  
Frowning, the petite blonde bent down to peep from under the door to find to a large combat boot tapping the tiled floor impatiently. In a flash, she opened the door.   
  
“What the hell are you-“   
  
She was cut off as the Brit covered her mouth with his hand.   
  
“Do you want to get me into trouble?" He asked, but before she could answer him she was being dragged by her hand out of the bathroom, down the hall and out the side door of the building to reach the back of the school.   
  
“Why did you drag me here?" She snapped annoyed.   
  
He ignored her and grinned wildly at her.   
  
“Did you see Dru’s face? And the poof? God, I never thought it would work this fast. This is just bloody fantastic!" He exclaimed as he walked around in circles, rubbing his hands together.   
  
Buffy scratched her head as she observed the bleached teen ramble on and on about how the plan was amazing and was working perfectly.   
  
“Pretty soon Dru will be so jealous she won’t have a choice but to come back to me. God! I miss her so much!"   
  
Something about the way he said it, the sincerity in his tone maybe, made her stomach turn and she had to fight back the urge to kick him.   
  
“Did you drag me here to listen to your pathetic love struck ramblings, Romeo?" The petite blonde grumbled, crossing her hands over her chest and leaning on the wall.   
  
“Listen, Betty."   
  
At that, Buffy made an attempt to protest, but he never gave her a chance:   
  
“No matter what you say, or how nasty you are right now, you are *not* going to ruin my good mood. I guarantee you." Spike promised, a goofy smile still plastered over his lips and an annoying sparkle brightening his blue eyes. “I saw what happened back there. She still loves me, I know it!"   
  
“She practically glued herself to Angel!" Buffy retorted.   
  
“Because she was jealous."   
  
“Men really like to fool themselves." She sighed loudly.   
  
“She loves me!"   
  
“She doesn’t care about you! Get it through that thick skull of yours, you big oaf." She insisted, but he wouldn’t hear of it.   
  
“I know Dru."   
  
“Right. That’s why you knew she was boinking the star quarterback of the school."   
  
At that, the smile on his face crumbled, quickly being replaced by a strange empty look in his eyes. She watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed hard. Without a word he turned to leave, but her small hand gripped him by his arm.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“   
  
Before she could finish he was in her face, raw anger flashing in his eyes.   
  
“You are the most self-centred, heartless, stubborn little brat I’ve ever met in my entire life." And without another word he stormed out of there, his long black duster swaying in the breeze as he left.   
  
~+~   
  
She sighed heavily, letting her fingers thread between her long blonde strands. She stared blindly ahead at no particular object or person. The feel of a light tap on her shoulder made her jump up to attention.   
  
“Willow!" She greeted as the redhead took a seat next to her on the bleachers.   
  
“Hey!"   
  
The two sat in silence watching the empty football field, until the taller girl spoke:   
  
“So..."   
  
Buffy cut her off before she had a chance to speak any further:   
  
“Willow, am I self-centred?"   
  
She slowly rocked herself back and forth, hugging her denim-covered legs against her chest.   
  
“Of course not. Why do you ask?" Willow frowned.   
  
“Nothing." Buffy shook her head and returned her gaze to the green field that spread before their eyes.   
  
“What happened?" The redhead enquired.   
  
Buffy rested her chin on her knees; her eyes never leaving the grass as she spoke:   
  
“What about heartless and stubborn?"   
  
“Where did you get that from?"   
  
Finally, she turned to look at Willow.   
  
“Be honest."   
  
“Well…" The redhead girl hesitated for a moment. “You can be a bit... harsh sometimes. Especially if you’ve been hurt." Willow admitted.   
  
Buffy closed her eyes for a few moments and then stood up.   
  
“I gotta go. See you in Spanish, Will."   
  
~+~   
  
She looked for him in the entire school; the only place left to search was the library. It was useless. He had left. Even so, she decided to give it a try. Her eyes widened as she entered the room and found the familiar black-clad teen sitting at a table scribbling in his notebook.   
  
“Hey." She whispered as she approached him.   
  
He jumped up and immediately slammed the notebook shut.   
  
“What do you want?" He grumbled.   
  
Taking her time, she prepared to sit next to him, but the moment she bent down he was up and walking over to a wall covered with books. She sighed and walked after him.   
  
“Ok, I deserved that." She grumbled apologetically, but he wouldn’t hear of it as he moved along the corridor, apparently looking for a book. “Spike!" She called out a bit too loud and was immediately shushed by the resident librarian. “Sorry!" she whispered as she turned to walk after the bleached teen. “Spike!" she hissed pulling at his duster, but he continued to pretend she wasn’t even there, staring up at the shelves.   
  
Having no choice, she moved between him and the bookcase. She held her breath as she realised that her simple motion had put her in a very precarious situation - her back pressed against the shelves and a thin 2-inch thick veil of air separated her from the boy standing in front of her.   
  
“Will you please move?" He asked looking straight through her.   
  
“Not until you talk to me." She managed to say as she stared up at him.   
  
She nearly gasped as he looked down at her, never moving away from her.   
  
“What do you want?" He asked with a distant tone.   
  
Buffy blinked wildly for a few seconds as she tried to get a hold of herself. ‘What the hell is happening to me?’ A voice asked in her head.   
  
“I-I’m sorry." She managed to stutter.   
  
He eyed her suspiciously from under a frown.   
  
“I realise that I can be a pain sometimes." She started.   
  
“Just sometimes?" He questioned sarcastically, raising his scared eyebrow.   
  
“Hey! I’m apologising here. Give me a break, ok?"   
  
The blond teen nodded and waited for her to continue.   
  
“And you just caught me in one of those… sometimes. So, I’m sorry for saying what I said, ok?"   
  
She waited for an answer but he simply stared down at her. The closeness between them was becoming unbearable and she held her breath as her heart raced. Finally, having had enough of the brain splitting tension she spoke up:   
  
“Ok. Could you just step back a little? My oxygen blood levels are becoming an issue here." She meant to sound haughty and sarcastic, but it came out in an awkward and faltering voice.   
  
Nodding slightly, he stepped back but remained silent.   
  
“So…" she started, trying hard to break the nerve-racking stillness between them, but failing miserably at it. Eventually, she gave up and let out a loud sigh before asking: “Are you giving me the silent treatment? Cause it’s really starting to freak me out."   
  
“You talk too much, pet." He said simply.   
  
“Hey!" She protested as they started to move down the corridor.   
  
Spike continued to search the shelves for a particular book.   
  
“What are you doing here, anyway?" She finally asked after a few moments.   
  
“You just can’t keep quiet, can you?"   
  
“I don’t like silence. It makes me uncomfortable."   
  
At that, Spike frowned.   
  
“What?" She asked defensively.   
  
“Nothing." He shook his head and continued his search.   
  
It wasn’t long before she spoke once again:   
  
“You never answered my question. What are you doing here?"   
  
“Reading." Spike stated the obvious, his eyes still wandering over the mountain of books displayed before them.   
  
“You read?"   
  
“Ever since I was six. Isn’t that just amazing?" He asked with sarcastic enthusiasm.   
  
Buffy forced a plastic smile on her face which instantly crumbled. They continued slowly making their way down the corridor, until he reached for a book and started skimming through it. She simply leaned on the bookcase and waited for him to find what he was looking for when they heard two whispering voices coming from the corridor next to theirs.   
  
“What do you mean you don’t believe it? Of course they’re together."   
  
“No, they’re not. I mean, one minute they hate each other and the next they’re walking down the halls holding hands, and sitting together at the cafeteria. Come on, it’s so fake. It’s like that episode in…"   
  
“It’s Jonathan and Andrew." Buffy mouthed at Spike, who had put down the book and was now listening in on the conversation.   
  
“No way. They are so together. They’re like Princess Leia and Han Solo. The incessant sparring and banter? All a façade to conceal the undeniable animal attraction that pulls them together." They heard Jonathan argue. “And now that they’ve realised it, they’re down major make-out lane."   
  
Buffy cringed at the statement, her facial muscles contorting in disgust.   
  
“A-ha!" Andrew noted triumphantly. “There was no make-out. Ever. And that is my point. If what they have is the classic Princess Leia and Han Solo storyline then we should have witnessed some major smooching by now. But all we got was pathetic holding hands and sitting together at lunch."   
  
“Maybe Buffy wants to take it slow. You know, maybe she’s still hurt because of Angel."   
  
“Buffy? Taking it slow? Ha!" Andrew laughed. “I bet you she is just doing it to make Angel jealous. That girl’s completely head over heels for the beefy quarterback. She’d do anything to have him back. It’s pathetic."   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened and raw anger flashed in them.   
  
“Why that little weasel!" She growled between clenched teeth.   
  
She balled up her fists and began to storm down the corridor, when Spike’s strong hand caught a grip on her arm.   
  
“Calm down." He hissed, pulling her closer. “Beating the crap out of those whelps is not going to solve anything."   
  
“They think I’m… I’m… easy!" She retorted.   
  
“Believe me when I say that you are *not* easy. There is nothing easy about you."   
  
Buffy stopped for a second trying to figure out if what he had said was a compliment or not.   
  
“I told you no one would believe it. I mean, we didn’t even fool the chess club back there." Spike titled his head towards the bookcase that separated them from the nerdy couple.   
  
Buffy let out a deep sigh, pulling her arm out of his grip and massaging it as she pondered.   
  
“What do you suggest we do?"   
  
Spike paused for a moment, even though he already knew the answer to her question, he just hadn’t figure out the best way to inform her of it.   
  
“We kiss. In front of the whole school." He finally managed to say.   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened.   
  
“I can’t kiss you. If I kiss you I’ll…. I’ll probably throw up!" She replied in disgust.   
  
“Thanks, luv." His words dripping with sarcasm.   
  
“But…" Her eyebrows came up her forehead in a painful frown and they remained in silence.   
  
“She’s not dating Spike. It’s all a scam to get Angel back." They heard Andrew insist on the other side of the bookcase. His voice was becoming clearer and it was obvious that he was rounding the corner to enter the same corridor she and Spike were in.   
  
Without a word, Buffy grabbed Spike by the lapels of his duster and slammed him against the shelves before crushing his mouth with hers.   
  
Spike gasped, suddenly out of breath. Her tiny hands traced erratic patterns on his chest as her lips viciously captured his, pulling and pushing in a demanding and urgent kiss. His brain went on complete overload at the feel of her small body pressing against his, her legs entwining with his as she now nibbled on his lower lip.   
  
A high-toned squeak announced Jonathan and Andrew’s presence and Buffy pulled away to look at the dumbstruck duo. She ran the back of her hand over her moistened lips as she looked the two boys up and down. She smiled inwardly as she realised she had achieved her goal. She grabbed Spike’s hand and dragged the stunned teen out of there.   
  
The moment she exited the library she jumped up and let out a satisfied yelp.   
  
“Did you see their faces? Oh, God it was hilarious! Did you see it? Did you see it? Spike? Are you ok?" Buffy came down from her euphoria as she noticed the dazed Brit simply gawking. “Spike?"   
  
“Huh? What? Oh! Yeah, yeah I saw it." He managed to say as he shifted uncomfortably.   
  
“It was just so cool!" Buffy returned to her celebration. “That’ll show them."   
  
She smiled wildly, but it crumbled as soon as the bell rang.   
  
“Oh! Damn it! I’m late! See you later." She yelled as she ran down the hall, leaving a bleached teen to gather himself.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy dragged her tired feet across the floor as she entered the house. Plopping on the couch she picked up the remote and turned on the TV. It wasn’t long before she had dozed off in front of the flickering screen. She jumped up as she felt a soft hand run over her cheek.   
  
“Mom!" She blinked wildly as she tried to figure out were she was. “I must have dozed off. What time is it?"   
  
“It’s eight thirty." Mrs. Summers informed her as she took her place next to her daughter. “How was your day?"   
  
“Uh… a mess. I’m just so tired." The blonde teen confessed as she leaned in to rest her head on her mother’s lap.   
  
“How is William?"   
  
“Who?" Buffy frowned at the name.   
  
“William, that nice young man who was here the other day."   
  
“Oh, you mean Spike! He’s ok."   
  
“Good. I hope he hasn’t been having too much trouble in school." Mrs. Summers wished, running her hands through her daughter’s thick hair.   
  
“Why would you think that?"   
  
“You know… Kids your age can be really hard on… different people." The older woman stuttered.   
  
“Yeah we can. But he’s not having any problems because of it." The teen explained.   
  
“Good."   
  
A moment of silence filtered between mother and daughter as they watched the screen still turned on in front of them.   
  
“He only has problems with Angel." Buffy spoke out of nowhere.   
  
“Angel? You mean your boyfriend?" Mrs. Summers enquired.   
  
“Ex-boyfriend mom. Emphasis on the ex part." The blonde girl noted. “Yep. I never really understood why, but they never got along. They used to hang out together when Spike first moved to Sunnydale. But then, all of a sudden they started hating each other. Go figure." Buffy shrugged as she finished speaking.   
  
“Hum… Strange." Mrs. Summers mumbled as her mind drifted over the various possible explanations for the occurrence.   
  
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a sharp ringing sound.   
  
“Hello?" Buffy greeted as she picked up the phone. “Wills! Hey!" Pause. “Next Friday? Sure! Ok then. It’s a date. Bye. Goodnight Wills." Putting down the receiver she turned to face her mom. “That was Willow. She was inviting me to go out to the Bronze next Friday. Is it ok?"   
  
“You’ve been going out too often young lady." Mrs. Summers noted.   
  
“Oh, mom… Please!" Buffy begged.   
  
“Ok, fine. But be home by midnight."   
  
“Thanks mom, you’re the best."   
  
Giving her mother a quick peck on the cheek she prepared to go upstairs when she heard Mrs. Summers call her name.   
  
“I’ll be going out tonight. You’re dinner is in the microwave."   
  
For the first time since she’d woken up she realise her mother was dressed up and… wearing make up?   
  
“Mom! You’re going on a date?" The teen asked surprised.   
  
“Yes, I am." Mrs Summers answered simply, as she moved to put on her coat.   
  
“With who?"   
  
“With whom." She corrected as a honk was heard. “That should be him. Goodnight, honey. And don’t stay up late."   
  
“Mom?" Buffy was left speaking to herself as she watched her mother waltz out of the house.   
  
~+~   
  
“Come on, pick up!" Buffy repeated over and over again into the receiver. “Damn it, Willow!" she cursed slamming the phone down.   
  
She paced nervously around the living room. Her arms folded over her chest as she tapped her nails on her sweater.   
  
“My mom. On a date?" Her mind was swirling. She knew it would eventually happen, and she always thought she would be ok with it, but apparently, she was wrong. Her stomach turned at the though of her mother and some stranger going out together, holding hands, kissing… Erg! “Not going there. That’s just… scary!"   
  
She continued to walkabout the room. Occasionally picking up the phone and dialling either Willow’s or Xander’s number, but every time she had no answer.   
  
“Where is everybody? It’s a school night for Christ sake." She talked to herself as she looked at the living room clock. “It’s nine pm; they should be at home by now." She protested to the walls when the phone rang. “Finally!" she breathed in relief as she picked up the receiver. “Where have you been? I have been calling you for hours. You won’t believe what happened!" she said in one breath.   
  
Her face turned bright red when she heard from the other side of the line:   
  
“Hey, pet. Didn’t know you wanted me that bad. That kiss in the library left you craving, huh?"   
  
She felt her stomach flip-flop in disgust and the anger start to boil up in her veins.   
  
“Spike!" She hissed between clenched teeth.   
  
“The one and only, luv."   
  
She could actually hear him smirking. Grrrr.   
  
“What do want?" She growled.   
  
“I think the question is what do you want. You were the one telling me you were calling me for hours." He answered cockily.   
  
“I thought you were someone else." She answered dryly.   
  
“Who?" The question was out of his lips before he could suppress it.   
  
“No one." She barked.   
  
“Come one now, luv. I thought you were supposed to tell me everything." He replied smugly.   
  
“Since when do I have to tell you anything?"   
  
“Since you became my girl." He answered directly.   
  
“I’m *not* you’re girl, Spike." She growled once more. He was really starting to get on her nerves.   
  
“Of course you are."   
  
“What do you want?" She asked again.   
  
“Just wanted to know how my goldilocks was doing." He continued with a slurred tone.   
  
“I’m fine!" She said slamming the receiver.   
  
Seconds later the phone was ringing again.   
  
“Hello?" She answered.   
  
“Not nice to slam the phone in someone’s face, luv. Especially not your boyfriend." He started.   
  
“You are *not* my boyfriend, Spike." She practically yelled into the receiver.   
  
“No need to shout love."   
  
Buffy sighed audibly. The sound of his voice the next second caught her off guard. Gone was the cocky, slurred voice to be replaced by a serious and almost concerned tone.   
  
“Are you ok, luv?"   
  
“I’m fine." She said exasperated.   
  
“You don’t sound fine."   
  
“Spike. Just leave me alone. I’m not in the mood for another one of our sparring contests. You win ok?" She was almost begging him.   
  
There was a moment of silence before he said:   
  
“I’ll be there in a two minutes."   
  
“What? Spike? No!" Before she could say anything else she got the dead signal from the other side of the line. “Oh, God no…"   
  
  
  
Chapter 12   
  
She groaned when she heard the doorbell ring. She forced herself up and dragged her feet across the hall to answer it. Rolling her eyes and in a tired, annoyed tone she asked when she saw the bleached teen standing at her doorstep:   
  
“What are you doing here?"   
  
“Can I come in?" He was already stepping across the threshold before she had a chance to answer him.   
  
“Be my guest." She replied sarcastically.   
  
“Are you ok?" He questioned turning to face her.   
  
“As you can see, I’m fine, so if you would just leave..." She said opening the front door, but he didn’t even seem to hear her, entering the living room instead. “Or make yourself at home. Whatever." She sighed audibly.   
  
“Cookies and cream?" He said picking up the half empty cup of ice-cream. “That bad huh?"   
  
“I like cookies and cream." She replied gruffly, grabbing the box from the teen’s hands.   
  
“I bet." Without asking, he plopped down on the couch and started to flip through the channels.   
  
“You’re just here for the cable, aren’t you?" She questioned.   
  
But he wasn’t listening as he intently watched the flickering images on the screen. She sighed loudly and flopped down next to him. After a few seconds she grumbled:   
  
“That’s a stupid game."   
  
“Stupid? How can you say that? It’s football." He protested, clearly offended.   
  
“That’s not football, it’s soccer." She corrected.   
  
“Excuse me. This… magnificent game happens to be played using one’s foot while the ridiculous thing you yanks call football is played with everything *but* one’s foot." He countered.   
  
“We use our feet!" it was her turn to complain.   
  
“Right." He piped up sarcastically.   
  
“American football is way cooler than this crap." She grumbled.   
  
“This crap, as you put it, is the number one sport in every country in the world. This crap is the *real* king of sports." He continued to argue. “American football, on the other hand, is just a cheap rip off of rugby. Just a bunch of sissy, padded up poofs running around the field trying to get a weird shaped ball through a giant… fork thingy while banging each other’s heads together. And you call that a manly sport, ha!"   
  
Buffy frowned and looked up at him.   
  
“For your information, football is more than trying to get the funny shaped ball through the… giant fork thingy." She tried to sound convincing, but failed miserably at it. It was clear that she knew nothing about the sport in question.   
  
Spike chuckled.   
  
“What?!"   
  
“You know less about this sport than I do." He burst out laughing.   
  
Buffy frowned for a second. He was laughing? Spike does something besides smirking and grinning? Snapping out of her thoughts she continued:   
  
“Well, I was never good at any sport so I just never got into it." She tried to excuse herself. “But I’m sure that our football is better than your English crap."   
  
He didn’t say anything, simply cocked up a scared eyebrow.   
  
“Oh, alright. So I don’t know anything about sports. Angel tried to explain football to me, but I just didn’t get it." She confessed.   
  
“Well, I don’t know what I can do about American football, but I think we can remedy your knowledge on soccer if you want to." He offered.   
  
At that, Buffy simply shrugged. Soon, and after some long and confusing explanations, the duo laid back and watched the match.   
  
“Hey! That referee is cheating. He didn’t do anything." Buffy shouted at the screen.   
  
“He’s right, luv. Remember about the offside rule?" Spike asked.   
  
“Oh… right." She pretended to understand.   
  
“You don’t remember, do you?" He chuckled.   
  
“No." She confessed in a low voice.   
  
“It’s when the ball is passed to a player who is closer his opponents goal line than any other member of the defending team, except for the goal keeper, of course."   
  
“Oh, yeah. Now I remember."   
  
They continued to silently watch the game until it was over.   
  
“So… What do you think about football now?" Spike asked, sprawling on the couch.   
  
“It’s ok." Buffy admitted.   
  
“There is another game on in half an hour. Wanna watch?" The Brit questioned.   
  
“Is Manchester United playing?"   
  
“Nope."   
  
“No, thanks then."   
  
“So you became a fan of good old Man U, huh?" Spike said with a smirk.   
  
“Not really. More like a fan of David Beckam’s legs." Buffy answered with a huge smile.   
  
“Should’ve figure that much. You chits always seem to go for him." Spike sighed spreading his arms over the edge of the couch.   
  
“Well, you should be going…" She said after an awkward moment of silence.   
  
“What’s the hurry, luv?"   
  
“The fact that my mom should be coming home any minute and even though she thinks you’re gay, she won’t be-“   
  
“You’re mom thinks I’m GAY?!" Spike jumped off the couch and looked at her wide eyed.   
  
“Well… Yes." Buffy hesitated a bit.   
  
“Why?!" He continued to ask outraged.   
  
Buffy’s mouth moved, opening and closing, but her voice seemed to refuse to leave her throat.   
  
“Well?" A flaming red Brit stared down at her, waiting for an explanation.   
  
“She might have gotten the wrong idea when I told her I was *definitely* not your type." She finally managed to say.   
  
“You told you’re mom I was gay?" He started to walk around in circles.   
  
“I didn’t tell her you were gay! She just… thought you were… you know…"   
  
“Know what?" He stopped his circling to stare at her.   
  
“Well, you know. The bleached hair…" she waved her hand in the direction of his head. “…and the black nail polish, kinda give out a… certain look." She stuttered.   
  
“Yeah! A bad ass look, not a GAY look!" He shouted.   
  
“It’s not *my* fault that my mother thinks you’re gay!" she suddenly counterattacked, standing up to defend herself.   
  
“You told her something!" he insisted.   
  
“Or maybe your fashion statement is just screaming: ‘repressed drag queen in the making’." She snapped, raising her head up high and jutting out her chin in the process.   
  
Spike’s eyes widened, his faced quickly gaining an unhealthy scarlet shade.   
  
“I am NOT gay." Was the only thing that he could think of to say.   
  
“You shouldn’t lie to yourself." She started with a mocking tone. “Deep down inside you, you have the real you just screaming to be let out. You will feel better if you embrace your true nature." At this point Buffy had to pinch herself to stop from bursting out laughing. The panicked look in his eyes was just priceless.   
  
“I’ll show you my true nature." He growled as he began to chase after her.   
  
They went around the couch a couple of times before switching to the table, jumping over a few chairs and vases. Buffy was chased up the stairs, in and out of her mother’s bedroom, to finally end up in her own room on one side of the bed while her attacker was on the other.   
  
“You-“ She panted wildly, with a huge grin on her flushed face. “…should be-“ Gasp “true to yourself." She managed to say breathless.   
  
She quickly leaped onto the bed as she saw Spike coming towards her. His arms waved around trying to catch her, but she jumped to the floor, landing on the spot where he had been just moments before. She smiled as she saw him in hers, on the opposite side of the bed.   
  
“Those cigarettes are taking their toll on you, huh?" She asked as he started to couch.   
  
“When" cough “I get my" couch “hands on you, Summers." He threatened.   
  
Her response was simply to stick out her tongue at him. She restarted running as he suddenly jumped at her across the bed. After a few moments, they were back in the same position on opposite sides of the mattress. Spike stood on the window side having, what looked like, a serious coughing fit.   
  
Buffy panted violently as she watched the Brit turn frightening shades of purple.   
  
“Are you ok?" she managed to ask as she pondered closing the distance between them to help him.   
  
He continued to cough, clinging to his throat as he did so and she decided it was best to move closer. The moment she was in arms reach, he grabbed her.   
  
“You cheating-“ She let out a loud yelp as she felt his grip around her arms. She struggled like a wild cat causing them to lose their balance and end up tumbling onto the bed. “Cheating, bleached bastard." She said between pants as she let out a small giggle.   
  
“All’s fair in love and war, luv." He replied, miraculously recovered from his coughing attack.   
  
They remained laying in bed, Spike on top, Buffy beneath him, staring at each other, both panting from the recent exertion. He smiled down at her while she pouted, having been caught.   
  
“That’s cheating!" She repeated, still breathless.   
  
A rebellious blonde strand found its way to cover her face and mouth and she wiggled a little trying to move it. Instinctively, Spike raised his hand and pulled it out of the way while making sure that her arms remained trapped under the burden of his chest.   
  
Out of nowhere, realisation came to them and their closeness became uncomfortably evident. Buffy swallowed hard as she looked up at the boy laying on top of her, whose gaze alternated between her eyes and her pouty lips. Suddenly, breathing became an issue. Her breaths now came in short, difficult pants, not because of the exertion but as a direct consequence of his proximity. Her heart seemed to want to leap out of her chest and her stomach was making those strange flip-flopping motions it usually did when…   
  
In a flash, she was up, pushing him away and causing him to fall flat on his ass in the process. Nervously, she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her flushed face. Once all the strands seemed to be in place, her hands moved toward her clothes to give them the same erratic treatment.   
  
“You- You better go. It’s late and my-“ She started with an unease tone when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. “My mom!" She whispered as she immediately went for the door and slammed it shut. “You gotta hide!" She warned him as she frantically looked around to find a place to keep him out of sight. In the meantime, the footsteps became clearer. “The bed! Get under the bed! Now!" she ordered.   
  
She didn’t have to tell him twice. A fraction of a second before the clicking sound of a door being opened was heard he was under the bed and out of sight.   
  
“Hey, honey! You’re still up?" Mrs. Summers asked as she entered the room.   
  
“Yeah!" Buffy answered as she tried to get her breathing under control. “I-I was just getting ready for bed." She explained nodding as she pressed her lips together.   
  
At that her mother frowned.   
  
“Are you ok, honey?" A hint of concern was evident in Mrs. Summers voice.   
  
“I’m fine!" Buffy replied a little too enthusiastically. “I’m fine!" she repeated with more calm.   
  
The teen held her breath, carefully watching the changes in her mother’s facial expressions as she walked around the room. Finally, a soft, understanding smile settled on the older woman’s mouth.   
  
“I know why you’re acting like this."   
  
“You do?" Buffy asked incredulous as she dared to throw a glance in the bed’s direction to check if Spike was still out of sight.   
  
“Yes." Mrs. Summers started as she sat down on the bed and patted the mattress next to her for Buffy to take a seat. When the petite blonde did, she continued: “You’re upset about me going out on a date."   
  
The teen let out a sigh of relief.   
  
“I know it feels weird now, but you knew it would happen sooner or later. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it and just kind of announced it without any previous warning, but I was worried about how you’d react and I just didn’t know how to tell you. I tried to talk to you over the weekend but… I couldn’t." Mrs. Summers confessed.   
  
“Oh, that explains the mother/daughter bonding overload." Buffy realised.   
  
Mrs. Summers smiled and nodded.   
  
“I hope that you can understand that I’m a single woman now. I’ve been alone ever since your dad and I got divorced and I think it’s time to move on now."   
  
“Don’t worry mom. I’m ok with it." Buffy said after a moment of silence.   
  
Under the bed, Spike held his breath and tried as hard as he could not to make any noise. He watched as a pair of legs moved away from the bed towards the door. They stopped for a second and he heard Mrs. Summers’ voice:   
  
“Goodnight, Buffy!"   
  
“Goodnight, mom!"   
  
The door was then opened and she was gone.   
  
The teen jumped up as, out of nowhere, Buffy’s head popped under the mattress.   
  
“You gotta get out of here." She stated as he crawled his way from under the bed.   
  
“No kidding, Einstein." He grumbled as he patted his duster.   
  
Buffy moved towards the window and opened it.   
  
“Go!" she ordered.   
  
“You want me to jump out the window?!" Spike asked incredulous.   
  
“Use the tree, genius." Buffy replied with an annoyed tone.   
  
“In case you haven’t noticed, the branches have been cut. And unless I’ve miraculously acquired some major Carl Lewis skills, I’ll never make that jump." Spike countered sarcastically.   
  
Buffy popped her head out the window and noticed that, in fact, the branches had been cut. ‘Damn winter trimming.’ she thought.   
  
“Well, you can’t go through the stairs. My mom will hear you." She noted as she started pacing around the room.   
  
After a few moments of silence she plopped down on the bed exasperated.   
  
“We’ll just wait for you’re mom to fall asleep." Spike suggested.   
  
“You don’t know my mother." Buffy forced a smile on her lips. “Ever since my rebellious pre-teen, middle of the night escapades she has become a true watch dog. She hears *everything*. And I mean everything. One noise from me and she’s at my door." She sighed as she let her tired body drop from the sitting position to a sprawled out one on top of the mattress.   
  
“I guess I’ll just have to spend the night here." He said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.   
  
“You wish!" She spat.   
  
“I don’t actually. With my luck, you probably snore."   
  
“I do *not* snore!" She replied outraged sitting up on the bed and furrowing her eyebrows.   
  
He simply smirked and leaned on the window as he shoved his left hand into the pocket of his duster and fished out a pack of cigarettes.   
  
“What-“ realising she was speaking a little too loudly she rephrased in a hissing voice: “What are you doing?"   
  
“Having a smoke?" He stated the obvious with the cigarette dangling from his lips as he prepared to light it.   
  
Instantly, Buffy was up and stomping her way over to him, but before she could take the small cylinder from his mouth he grabbed it.   
  
“Oh, no you’re not!" she protested as she jutted out her chin in defiance, looking up at him.   
  
“Oh, come on. I have been smoke-free for two hours now. I need a fag!" he pleaded as he brought his eyebrows together for a painful frown.   
  
“No!" she insisted.   
  
“But-“   
  
“You will not smoke that crap in *my* room, and that’s final." She was unrelenting.   
  
“Just one, please. I won’t be able to sleep otherwise."   
  
“That’s your problem." She snapped, turning around and making her way to her bed.   
  
“Bitch." He murmured.   
  
“I heard that." She said as she pulled the sheets.   
  
Turning around she eyed him.   
  
“What?" He asked with a furrowed eyebrow.   
  
“Do you mind?" She questioned drawing circles in the air with her index finger signalling him to turn around.   
  
Sighing audibly, the Brit faced the window as he waited for her to get unto her pyjamas. He heard a series of sounds, shuffling and shambling until Buffy’s whisper reached his ears:   
  
“I’m done."   
  
He turned to catch a glimpse of Buffy’s Yummy Sushi pyjamas as she tucked herself under the sheets and turned off the lights.   
  
Frustrated, he shoved the cigarette into the pack and placed it on her table as he took off his duster. Buffy remained in her bed, eyes partially closed as she pretended to sleep. She watched as he unbuttoned his shirt, murmuring a string of curses under his breath. He sat on the nearby chair and started to unlace his boots. The socks were off and he was up again, his fingers finding their way under the cotton fabric of his white t-shirt and pulling it over his shoulders. Buffy held her breath as she observed the semi-naked boy under the dim moonlight. She gazed, as if entranced, committing to memory every lean curve and arch of his chest and abdomen. She drew hard breaths into her lungs as he walked in circles for a few seconds, his hand running trough his now dishevelled blond hair, down his shoulder for a quick hug and then settled over his belt and started undoing it. When he continued to unbutton his trousers, Buffy jumped up.   
  
“Wha-What do you think you’re doing?!" She asked in a faltering tone.   
  
“Getting ready for bed?" He once more stated the obvious, raising his eyebrows in confusion.   
  
“You’re not gonna get naked in my room!" She protested but, somehow, her resolve didn’t seem very convincing.   
  
“I always sleep naked." Seeing the straight line of her mouth he shrugged. “Fine, it’s your bed."   
  
Buffy didn’t even have time to process what he had just said as he made his way to her and started to pull on the covers.   
  
“WHAT do you think you’re doing?" She repeated loudly as she grabbed as much of the sheets as she could and covered herself.   
  
“Once again – getting ready for bed." He answered her as he reached for the covered once more.   
  
Quickly, she moved back, dragging the fabric with her.   
  
“Not in *my* bed!" She replied wide eyed.   
  
“I’m supposed to sleep on the floor?"   
  
“Of course!"   
  
“Bloody hell!" He protested. “I’m not-“   
  
A clicking sound was heard followed by footsteps.   
  
“My mom! Quick! Under the bed!" She ordered.   
  
Instantly, Spike dropped and started to crawl under when she hissed:   
  
“Your clothes! Spike!"   
  
He was up and gathering all his things including his boots which he managed to shove under the bed, but by the time he tried to crawl under it himself, the doorknob to the room was being turned. Without a second thought, he threw himself onto the bed. He glued his body against the petite blonde’s in the desperate hope that her mother wouldn’t notice the extra volume under the fluffy covers. Buffy gasped and immediately held her breath she watched the door open and her mom’s head pop in.   
  
  
  
Chapter 13   
  
“Buffy, are you ok?" Spike heard a worried voice ask.   
  
He held his breath, drawing himself nearer to Buffy’s now trembling form as the sound of footsteps let him know that Mrs. Summers was coming into the room.   
  
Buffy froze, her stomach seemed intent on doing those distracting flip-flops as she felt his body cling to her form.   
  
“I-I’m fine!" she managed to say in a nervous stutter.   
  
“I heard a noise. What happened?" Mrs. Summers enquired taking a seat on the mattress next to her daughter.   
  
The teen swallowed hard, her mind a haze as her heart raced in her chest and her hands became sweaty.   
  
“N-Nothing happened. Must have been from outside." She answered tilting her head towards the window.   
  
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of red on her table. ‘Oh my God! The cigarettes!’ Her mind screamed at her as she watched her mom get up and walk over to the opened window.   
  
“Mom!" She instinctively shouted.   
  
Mrs. Summers stopped in her tracks and turned to face her child.   
  
“What, honey?"   
  
“Leave the window open, I’m kinda hot." She made up the excuse in a moments notice.   
  
In the meantime, Spike remained frozen under the covers. His bare chest glued to Buffy’s right thigh, his legs twisted around the rest of her leg, positioning her foot in a very, very awkward place. His arms wound around her waist while his head rested on her partially bare stomach.   
  
“You’re not coming down with something, are you?" A concerned Mrs. Summers asked walking back over to the bed and placing her hand on Buffy’s forehead. “You do feel kind of warm…"   
  
“I’m fine!" She piped up nervously. “I-I’m fine." She repeated with a little less anxiety.   
  
“Are you sure?"   
  
Buffy felt Spike move under the covers, his hand brushing over the inside of her thigh as he tried to make himself a little more comfortable. It took all of her strength to keep from gasping, her facial muscles contorting as she tried to repress the urge. Her mind seemed to drift for a second. All she could think about was that she had a semi naked boy in her bed, clinging to her right leg under the covers.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
Her mother’s voice finally seemed to penetrate the thick fog surrounding her brain.   
  
“Ah! What?!" She mumbled as she was snapped out of her daze.   
  
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get you anything?" Mrs. Summers repeated.   
  
“I’m sure, mom. I’m fine." The last word came out in a high-pitch tone as she felt his warm breath on her stomach.   
  
She closed her eyes to prevent her mom from seeing her rolling them back in their sockets.   
  
Under the covers, Spike tried to push back the little voice in his head that beckoned him to touch her or maybe just to brush his lips over the exposed flesh of her lean stomach, just once… ‘Concentrate, concentrate…’ He kept repeating in his thoughts not realising he was starting to pant.   
  
Buffy thanked whatever gods there were out there that her mother had her back turned to her when Spike’s breath became more evident on her tummy. She tried to repress the urge to move abruptly, but eventually ended up wiggling her toes in the process.   
  
Spike’s eyes widened as he felt something quickly brush over his groin and couldn’t help letting out a deep groan.   
  
Buffy froze when she felt something hard against her toes.   
  
“What was that, honey?" Mrs. Summers stopped at the door and turned to face her daughter.   
  
“Um… I-I said: Goodnight, mom!" Buffy lied.   
  
With a soft smile, Mrs. Summers turned the knob, opening the door. Before she exited the room, she whispered:   
  
“Goodnight, honey."   
  
And she was gone.   
  
Buffy and Spike remained frozen in place until they heard the clicking sound of another door opening and closing. Complete silence filled the room only broken by the quick and short pants coming from the petite blonde.   
  
She held her breath as she felt him crawl his way from under the covers, his arm lightly gliding across hers.   
  
“That was close." He breathed sitting next to her, on the bed, his legs still under the sheets.   
  
She stared wide eyed at him, sometimes daring to throw a glance at his bare chest.   
  
“Are you ok, luv?" He finally asked.   
  
Then, something unexpected happened. Actually, considering it was Buffy, it wasn’t unexpected at all. She brusquely pulled at the sheets, shoving him off the bed with her shoulder, causing him to topple off the mattress onto the floor.   
  
“Hey!" He protested.   
  
“Stay out of my bed!" She hissed in a low voice, careful not to wake her mother once again.   
  
The Brit remained on the floor, staring wide eyed at the petite blonde who looked back at him with a defiant chin jutting out.   
  
Anger flashed in his eyes as he got up and grabbed the edge of the covers and pulled them off her, then proceeded by snagging one of Buffy’s pillows.   
  
“I get the covers." He said laying down on the floor next to her bed and pulling the sheets over himself while he rested his head on the pillow.   
  
Without a word she got up and snatched the covers from him, setting them on the bed.   
  
“Those are mine, I’ll get you something else." She explained as she turned on the light and opened her wardrobe.   
  
She looked through it for a few second and grabbed something. Walking back to him, she dropped them on his lap.   
  
“There." She grumbled, climbing onto the bed and covering herself.   
  
“Are you kidding me? Scooby-Doo sheets?" The Brit protested in a low voice.   
  
“It’s all I’ve got. My mom keeps the covers in a cupboard in the hall." She explained as she closed her eyes and turned her back to him.   
  
Reluctantly, he picked up the sheets. He gasped when he spread them out. They were miniscule, reaching as high as his waist. If he wanted to cover his shoulders he would have to keep his feet in the cold or the other way around.   
  
“Bloody hell! This thing’s baby sized." He complained.   
  
“What did you expect? Those were my sheets when I was a kid." She grumbled never bothering to face him.   
  
“Bugger all!" He grumbled as he covered his legs with the small fabric.   
  
A few moments of silence managed to filter between them before Spike’s whispering voice was heard:   
  
“Are you still up, Betty?"   
  
“It’s BUFFY!" She hissed between clenched teeth.   
  
“Sorry." He said with little conviction.   
  
Silence.   
  
“Buffy…" He called again.   
  
“What?" She grumbled.   
  
“What do we do about tomorrow?" He enquired as he stared up at the ceiling, his hands resting on the back of his neck as he laid on his back.   
  
“What about tomorrow?" She replied with an annoyed tone.   
  
“You’re mom, if she walks in… won’t be a pretty sight."   
  
“I’ve set the alarm. We wake up before she does, wait till she’s out of the house and then we can leave and end this nightmare. By the way, you are never setting foot in my house ever again." She grumbled, her back still turned to him.   
  
Minutes later…   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“Spike?" She mumbled.   
  
“Yeah?"   
  
“Go to sleep."   
  
“I can’t. All I can think about is having a fag." He lied.   
  
“Think about something else, cause you’re *not* smoking in my room."   
  
Silence…   
  
“Luv?"   
  
“What!?" She exhaled sharply, turning around to face him. “What do you want this time?" She moved to the edge of her bed and looked down on him. She couldn’t help biting her lower lip at the sight of his bare chest bathed in moonlight.   
  
“What about school?" He enquired looking up at her.   
  
“What about school?" She sighed trying to sound as exasperated as possible.   
  
“You know…"   
  
“It’s one in the morning, Spike. Trust me, I don’t know." She grumbled as she glanced at her alarm clock.   
  
“The library… what we agreed on?" He managed to say without giving away his unease.   
  
Buffy felt her whole body tense up at the recollection. She ignored it and replied:   
  
“We already did it, so… no need to talk about it anymore."   
  
She quickly lay back on the bed, facing the ceiling.   
  
“Oh, come on. You know it’s not going to work. We might have convinced the nerdy kids, but not the rest of the school." He protested, turning on his side and propping up his head on his left hand.   
  
When he heard no answer he called her name.   
  
“I’m here." She mumbled. “I’m thinking."   
  
Minutes passed and Spike grew impatient.   
  
“Buffy? You done thinking?"   
  
“Fine! We’ll do it. Tomorrow. During lunch break. Now go to sleep."   
  
Buffy tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach and settled down to sleep. But slumber never came. She tossed and turned in bed, the strange sensation of anxiety strangling her, making it hard to breathe, to move, to think, to do anything at all. She moved to the edge of the mattress and glanced down at an apparently sound asleep Spike. She returned to her nervous flipping over under the covers until she heard him mumble in a low voice.   
  
“What’s the matter, luv?" He asked as he realized he wasn’t going to get any sleep if he didn’t make her stop moving around.   
  
“Nothing." She quickly lied.   
  
“Then why are you tossing and turning?"   
  
“I’m just… trying to get comfortable." She retorted.   
  
“You’ve been trying to get comfortable for an hour now."   
  
“I-… It’s just that… maybe it’s not such a good idea." She dared to say.   
  
“What is?"   
  
“The… plan… and kissing." She hesitated.   
  
“You chickening out?" He chuckled.   
  
“I *am* not!" She sat up on the bed to look down at him, pulling the sheets around her small form.   
  
“You’re chickening out." He teased.   
  
“I AM not!" She insisted.   
  
“What is it luv? Afraid if you kiss me you won’t be able to keep you hands off of my tight little body?" He continued his mockery.   
  
“Ha! As if!" The anger growing in her helped her get over the nervousness racing through her.   
  
“That’s it, isn’t it? You’re afraid you won’t be able resist me." He continued to tease.   
  
“Spike, I could kiss you anytime, anyplace, if only I could repress the intense urge to hurl I have every time you are within two feet of me." She snapped. But her harsh words lost most of their sting at the sight of her nervous pulling and pushing of the sheets.   
  
Spike smiled and sat up on the floor.   
  
“Prove it." He challenged her in a low voice.   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened as he crawled his way into the kneeling position and set his hands on the mattress on each side of her. She gazed at him, cocky grin over his lips, a defiant sparkle in his eyes.   
  
“Ha!" She managed to snap out of her daze. “Nice try! I’m not that easy." And she forced a plastic smile on her lips.   
  
“Believe me luv, I’m not trying to trick you into kissing me. I’m just afraid that tomorrow you’ll go all Al Gore on me, in front of the whole school." He retorted.   
  
Buffy widened her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, clearly offended.   
  
“Come on, pet. You gotta admit, every time I try to touch you or even go anywhere near you, you freeze up."   
  
“It’s because of the hurling factor. I told you." She pouted.   
  
“Get over it if you want to fool anyone." He snapped a bit offended.   
  
They looked at each other for a few moments, in silence, until Buffy broke it. With a loud sigh and patting the mattress, signalling him to sit.   
  
“Come here." She mumbled reluctantly.   
  
“What for?" He grumbled.   
  
“If I’m supposed to not freeze up, I better get used to having you near me." She stated the obvious.   
  
He stood up and plopped down on the bed with a loud, annoyed sigh. They sat once more in silence until Buffy spoke:   
  
“Well… are you just gonna stand there? Touch me." She ordered.   
  
“What?!" Spike choked.   
  
“I’m supposed to act natural when you touch me, so…"   
  
A mischievous grin spread over his lips as he eyed her suggestively.   
  
“Not *that* kind of touching!" She immediately stepped in.   
  
He pulled his mouth to one side in a wicked version of a smirk and then nodded. Slowly, his fingers ran over a strand of hair which fell over her face and neatly placed it behind her ear. They then proceeded with making their way down to her shoulder, over her collarbone to reach her neck and cup her cheek. He moved his whole body closer to hers, as his other hand traced circular pattered over her right arm, down to her hand. He felt her tense up when he snuck it around her waist and drew her closer to him.   
  
“See? This is what I’m talking about." He complained, dropping his arms to his sides and sighing audibly.   
  
“I’m sorry." She said with a pout. “It’s just…" She took a long deep breath, closed her eyes and continued: “Ok! I’m focusing. Try again."   
  
It took a few moments, but she soon felt him move around her and take his place behind her, spreading his legs on either side of her. His hand brushed over her golden locks, pulling them over her left shoulder, exposing her neck. Instinctively, Buffy tilted her head baring her right shoulder to him. She felt his arms encircle her, bringing her back closer to his chest, until she was leaning on him. His hands rested on her waist idly playing with the edges of her shirt. Buffy couldn’t help but smile as she remembered him doing that just the day before. But the smirk soon crumbled and she froze as she felt his lips lightly brush over her shoulder. He stopped as he felt her tense up, and waited for a few seconds. Silently, she gave him permission to continue and he returned his mouth to the tender flesh at the crook of her neck.   
  
At first it was soft and almost imperceptible, but it soon grew in intensity as he lightly suckled at her skin, his teeth nibbling as he made his way up to her earlobe. He took it into his mouth and his grip immediately tightened around her waist. Lost in the feeling, she relaxed and her own hands came into play as she caressed his bare arms. A low sigh escaped her parted lips as he continued his ministrations and she leaned against him for support. His lips left her ear to trace the edge of her jaw as she turned around to face him when suddenly he backed away.   
  
It took a second for her to perceive the loss of his touch, but eventually she did. She blinked wildly as she tried to focus her foggy eyes on him.   
  
“What?" She breathed.   
  
“I heard a noise."   
  
They sat in silence, waiting for another sound, but it never came. They exchanged a quick glance and all the awkwardness of the moment came flooding in. Buffy frantically ran her hands through her hair as she struggled to find something to say.   
  
“Well… I-I guess… we’re… done." She managed to stutter.   
  
“Yeah." Spike desperately tried to sound nonchalant and calm about the whole situation but all of a sudden what to do with his hands became an issue as he tried shoving them into the back pockets of his black jeans, awkwardly stumbling out of the bed.   
  
“Well… Goodnight then." She stammered as she watched him laying down on the floor.   
  
She pulled the covers over her shoulders, nuzzling against the pillow. She held her breath as she recognized a strange scent over her sheets and all around her – his scent. Once again, she struggled to find slumber, but this time she wasn’t alone. On the floor, lying spread-eagle, Spike stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandering in the clouds, unable to fall asleep.   
  
It was going to be a long night.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) The song in this chapter is Elisa’s Dancing and I’d really recommend you to download it and listen to it while you’re reading this chapter, especially the part where it’s mentioned. ;) Plus it’s a cool song! Chapter 14   
  
Buffy repressed a groan when she eyed the alarm clock and it read: ‘Four a.m. It’s 4 am and I’m still up.’ She thought. For the third time that night, she carefully rolled over to the edge of the bed to check on her uninvited guest. ‘Sound asleep. Bastard!’ She cursed in her mind. She cleared her voice loudly and glanced at the pale boy. He never moved.   
  
Spike kept his eyes closed, in the vague chance that sleep might come to him, but it didn’t. He was still wide awake, his mind plagued with indecent thoughts of the obnoxious blonde sleeping just a few feet from him. ‘Get yourself together, man. What the hell are you thinking? Sure, the chit’s not bad, but not worth losing a night’s sleep over.’ He mentally scolded himself as he felt his body start to react at the mere recollection of what had happened earlier that night. Sighing, he turned on his side, making sure to rest his back against the freezing wall. Maybe that would cool him off.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He jumped up into sitting position as he felt something metallic sting his lower back.   
  
Looking at the floor, he found a remote and picked it up. He didn’t have much time to inspect it as the lights were flipped on and an apparently sleepy Buffy moaned:   
  
“What was that?" She forced her voice to sound drowsy and hoarse.   
  
Spike blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the strong light that now filled the room. Before he could answer, Buffy snatched the remote from his hands and piped up, suddenly wide awake:   
  
“That’s where it was." She said as she placed the remote on her nightstand. “I was looking for that."   
  
Gradually, the sound of a piano filled the room. The two blondes turned to see the stereo – it was lit up.   
  
“Must have turned it on." Spike explained as slowly a soft female voice flowed in key with the instrument:   
  
Time is gonna take my mind and carry it far away where I can fly The depth of life   
  
will dim   
  
my temptation to live for you.   
  
  
  
The two blondes stared at each other for a glimpse of a second and then Buffy jumped and reach for the remote.   
  
“No!" Spike called out.   
  
She stopped and turned to face him. She found him with a serious look on his face   
  
If I were to be alone   
  
silence would rock my tears 'cause it's all about love   
  
and I know better How life is a waving feather   
  
  
  
“I wanna hear it." He said.   
  
Buffy cocked up a perfectly shaped eyebrow.   
  
“You? Wanna hear this?" She asked suspicious, pointing at the stereo with the remote in hands.   
  
“Why not?" He questioned innocently.   
  
“Mr.-Bad-Ass-Billy-Idol-wannabe wants to hear a sappy song?" She chuckled.   
  
“I can do sappy. There are many layers to me, luv." He explained.   
  
“Oh! Tons, heaps of layers!" She said sarcastically shaking her head.   
  
“And what’s that supposed to mean?"   
  
“Come on, Spike. You’re a guy! You only have layers when you wanna convince girls that you’re sensitive." She mocked while the song grew in intensity in the background   
  
So I put my arms around you   
  
Around you And I know that I'll be leaving soon   
  
  
  
Spike furrowed his eyebrows in a clear sign of hurt.   
  
“I’m just being honest." She said with a smile.   
  
“Ok, so maybe you are right." He finally admitted with a grin of his own.   
  
My eyes are on you, they're on you And you see that I can't stop shaking   
  
The two blondes froze, staring intensely at each other, as they realised that they were having a civil conversation without the usual banter or sparing. The music continued to play in the background and a chill ran down Buffy’s spine. She shook her head as the moment became too much and looked down at the sheets avoiding his piercing gaze. She regretted it the moment she did it as the lyrics wheeling around them described her actions.   
  
No, I won't step back but I'll look down to hide from your eyes 'cause what I feel is so sweet and I'm scared that even my own breath Oh could burst it if it were a bubble And I'd better dream if I have to struggle   
  
  
  
  
  
Awkwardly, Buffy sat up straight and started playing with the remote in her hands while the frail voice coming from the stereo soared haunting heights.   
  
  
  
So I put my arms around you around you And I hope that I will do no wrong My eyes are on you they're on you And I hope that you won't hurt me   
  
  
  
  
  
“So…" She started never daring to glance up at him. She froze when she realised he was standing up and coming to sit on the bed next to her. She remained still, holding her breath has he reached for a loose strand of her hair and slowly pushed it behind her ear.   
  
  
  
I'm dancing in the room as if I was in the woods with you No need for anything but music Music's the reason why I know time still exists Time still exists   
  
Time still exists Time still exists   
  
  
  
  
  
As he leaned in something inside of her snapped. She jumped up and was standing by the bed in a flash, her voice over enthusiastic and high-pitched:   
  
“Ok! I think we’ve practiced that enough for tonight!"   
  
The Brit teen stared at her under a furrowed brow until he understood what she meant.   
  
“Well, we-we better get some sleep, tomorrow being a school day and all. And-“ She spoke quickly and awkwardly as she searched for the remote, which had somehow slipped from her hands and was lost between her sheets. “Ha! Found it!" She said triumphantly, standing up straight and holding her prize.   
  
So I just put my arms around you around you And I hope that I will do no wrong My eyes are on you they're on you And I hope that you won't hurt me-   
  
Silence once again filled the room as she pushed the off button. Buffy set the remote on the nightstand and stood beside the bed looking at him with a plastic smile on her face. Clearly embarrassed, Spike stood up to take his place on the floor once again.   
  
“Well… Goodnight." She piped up as she snuck under the covers, but she had no answer.   
  
She felt something tug at her racing heart, but ignored it, closing her eyes and forcing herself to fall asleep.   
  
The hours passed and soon it was seven am and the alarm clock rang. Buffy’s hands reached up and pressed the off button. She yawned audibly, pretending to have slept the entire night, as she moved to the edge of the bed. There he was, laying on the floor, curled up into a little ball pulling at the blanket to cover himself as much as he could.   
  
“Spike…" She called softly, but had no answer. “Spike…" She whispered once again, this time reaching for him and lightly pushing him.   
  
“Hum…" She heard him mumble as he turned his back to her.   
  
“Spike… Wake up… My mom’s gonna be here any minute." She said climbing off the bed and sitting on the floor next to him.   
  
Her hands rested on his arm, pulling at him to turn him around as she spoke. Eventually, he did but he was still fast asleep. She watched as he nestled his face against her thighs. He looked so peaceful, so… non obnoxious.   
  
Instinctively, she ran her fingers over his sharp cheekbones leaving her thumb behind to caress the amazingly soft skin there. She caught her breath as he nuzzled against it, his lips curling slightly up for a lazy smile. She heard him mumble something in his daze and she leaned in to hear him whisper in a drooling tone:   
  
“Dru…"   
  
Her eyes grew wide as she felt her stomach twist in disgust. In a flash, she was up and shaking him gruffly:   
  
“Wake up!"   
  
“Hum… What?" The Brit blinked wildly as he tried to ascertain where he was. A deep furrow marred his eyebrows as his sight focused on the petite blonde violently walking around in circles. “Oh, God… It wasn’t a nightmare." He grumbled with a hoarse voice.   
  
“Get up, get under the bed and don’t get out of there until I tell you!" She said simply before she opened the door and walked out of the room, leaving a dumbstruck, sleepy teen behind.   
  
~+~   
  
The moment the front door closed and she was sure her mother was out of the household, Buffy raced up the stairs. She stopped abruptly when she reached her bedroom. Taking in two deep, long breaths, she turned the doorknob and entered the room.  
  
“Spike?" She asked when the bleached teen was nowhere in sight. “Spike?"   
  
She walked in and headed for the bed, bending down to check under it. Nothing.   
  
“Spik-“   
  
“Bah!" Two jabbing hands were on her waist as a loud voice filled the room.   
  
“AHH!" She screamed off the top of her lungs, twisting around suddenly, her right knee hitting its target right on the spot.   
  
It was Spike’s turn to howl – in throbbing pain. Buffy’s fingers automatically went for her mouth, her eyes widening as she watched the bleached teen laying on the floor wailing while his hands were buried between his legs.   
  
“I-I’m sorry." She stuttered, frozen in place, her eyebrows wrinkled in a painful frown.   
  
“Bloody hell, woman!" He yelled, still lying on the floor, his face the picture of agony.   
  
“I-I.." She stammered as she kneeled next to him.   
  
Immediately, he jumped back, fear coming over him.   
  
“Just stay away from them!" He ordered between howls.   
  
“Well… “ She said outraged as she stood up. “You-you shouldn’t have grabbed me like that."   
  
“It was a joke." He protested as he tried to get up to his feet but failed. “I think I’ll just stay down here for… a while." He said as he sat back down, leaning on her table.   
  
“Suit yourself. I’m going to take a shower." She replied as she stalked out of the room.   
  
~+~   
  
Spike waited patiently on the floor, still nursing his sore parts when he heard the door squeak. He turned to see Buffy’s drenched head pop in.   
  
“Turn around." She ordered.   
  
“What?! I can barely move here, luv, and you want me to turn around?" He asked, cocking up an eyebrow.   
  
“Well then… Close your eyes." She insisted.   
  
“It’s not like I haven’t seen a girl wrapped up in a towel before, you know?" He said sarcastically, annoying smirk on.   
  
“Do you wanna get kicked again?" She questioned innocently as she put on her sweetest, fake smile.   
  
A hint of fear flashed in the teen’s eyes before he closed them. He heard sloppy footsteps entering the room and a faint scent of vanilla hit him. Instinctively, he inhaled a little deeper and the aroma surrounded him. He was about to attempt to open his eyes when he heard:   
  
“You open your eyes and I swear you will leave this room with a vocal tone higher then ten Michael Jackson’s put together." She threatened.   
  
Swallowing hard, he kept his eyelids closed shut, patiently waiting for her signal. He listened carefully to the shuffling; the sound of the wardrobe door opening and closing a few times and then there was silence.   
  
“Buffy?" He asked as a frown settled on his eyebrows.   
  
“Keep your eyes closed." She commanded.   
  
“They’re closed!" He replied shrugging.   
  
He heard more shuffling and then felt heavy covers being dropped on him.   
  
“Hey!" He protested.   
  
“Don’t peep!"   
  
The minutes crawled by and nothing.   
  
“Are you ready?" He finally asked.   
  
“No."   
  
“You haven’t even picked out your clothes, have you?" He questioned, a hint of exasperation in his voice. There was a pause. “Buffy?"   
  
“No, I haven’t." She finally said in one breath and the teen under the covers groaned.   
  
“Will you hurry up, woman?"   
  
“Stop calling me that!" She snapped.   
  
“What? Woman?"   
  
“Yes! I have a name, it’s Buffy!"   
  
“Whatever, pet."   
  
“Grrrr…" He heard her growl.   
  
Another ten minutes passed and Spike restarted the conversation.   
  
“So… What was that whole thing with your mom?"   
  
Silence.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
“I don’t wanna talk about it." She growled.   
  
“Her first date after your da?" Having no answer he continued. “It’s ok to feel kinda weird about it."   
  
A furious stomp broke the silence.   
  
“It was kinda strange for me too when my da first started going out."   
  
The stillness returned and Spike was about to continue when Buffy mumbled:   
  
“You’re parents are divorced?"   
  
“My mom died when I was a kid."   
  
“Oh…"   
  
An uncomfortable silence returned but was soon broken by the Brit still hidden under the covers.   
  
“It’s normal, you know? For your mom to want to go on with her life."   
  
“I know." Buffy admitted reluctantly.   
  
“You’ll get used to the idea. Who knows, you might even like the guy."   
  
“Never!" Was the petite blonde’s immediate response.   
  
Spike couldn’t help but chuckle.   
  
“It’s not funny!" She protested with a pout.   
  
“You’ll-“ cough “You’ll-“ cough “Can I come out from under this thing? Breathing is becoming a problem."   
  
His answer came when the covers were swiftly lifted off him. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light, after a few seconds his sight focused on the short blonde girl standing in front of him. She wore low cut jeans and a light-blue turtleneck sweater.   
  
“All that time for that?" He frowned as he got up.   
  
“What’s wrong with this?" She protested as she opened the wardrobe door and looked at herself in the mirror.   
  
“Nothing. It’s fine!" He immediately jumped in between her and the mirror. “Let’s go!" He continued as he dragged her out of the room by her arm.   
  
The first thing the bleached Brit did when he stepped out of the house was light up a cigarette, which immediately earned him a look from the short blonde who walked next to him.   
  
“Don’t look at me like that." He warned her as the smoke flowed out of his mouth.   
  
“That’s disgusting." She retorted, making a face. “I’m not kissing you today."   
  
“A-ha! I knew you’d chicken out! Gotta say– good excuse, luv."   
  
“It’s not an excuse, I just don’t want to have a bad taste in my mouth." She explained as she looked down at her feet.   
  
“How do you know it tastes bad?" He asked her with a smirk, his eyes on her.   
  
“It smells bad, it tastes bad. That’s my motto." She replied pushing her lips together. The weight of his stare starting to get to her.   
  
“You’ll never know till you actually taste it." He said as he suggestively ran his tongue over his lips.   
  
“I already did, remember!" Her face contorted for a disgusted look.   
  
“Tell you what, I’ll buy a pack of breath mints before lunch. Happy?" He suggested as they continued to walk down the street.   
  
“How about we just postpone the kissing scene for tomorrow and you don’t smoke till then?" She looked up at him with hope in her eyes.   
  
“Nice try, pet. It’s today or never."   
  
“Hum… Never?" She quickly opted giving him a plastic smile.   
  
“Come on, luv. We’ve talk about-“   
  
“Ok, ok. No need to bring on the whining skills, I know you’ve got them." She grumbled.   
  
“That’s my girl."   
  
“I’m not your girl, William."   
  
“Don’t call me William." Seriousness dawned in his voice.   
  
“Don’t call me pet or luv or woman."   
  
“Deal." He agreed.   
  
They continued to walk in silence for a couple more minutes till Buffy sighed and grumbled:   
  
“Why didn’t you bring your bike?"   
  
“It’s in the shop." He answered.   
  
“I hate walking." She continued to protest as the high school finally came into view.   
  
“Gotta say I agree with you on that one, pet."   
  
“Thanks… William." She said with a fake smile as he looked at her from under a frown.   
  
They walked up the steps to the main door of the teen-filled building and entered the halls. They reached class 209 and the two teens stopped.   
  
“This is me." She said as she played with the cover of her history book.   
  
Spike awkwardly nodded as he shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. Buffy’s gaze bounced off the walls and scanned the entire hall as she tried to avoid the bleached teen standing in front of her. She froze as she saw Angel and Dru walking towards them, the quarterback’s heavy arms draped over the black clad teen. Spike followed her eyes and swallowed hard as the couple quickly approached them.   
  
“Well… bye." She uttered quickly as she turned around to enter the classroom, when she felt herself being pulled backwards by her left arm.   
  
Before she could register Spike’s arms around her or her chest pushed against his, his lips came down to crush hers in a demanding kiss. She froze, feeling his hands slip under her sweater to caress her lower back for a split second before he pulled away from her.   
  
“Didn’t taste that bad, did it, luv?" He whispered in her ear before he walked away.   
  
Buffy was left behind, completely dumbstruck, staring at the parting teen as he strolled pass Angel and Dru.   
  
“Dru. Angel." She heard him greet them before Mrs. Finch’s high-pitched voice pierced its way through the haze that engulfed her.   
  
“Miss Summers are you planning on joining us anytime soon?"   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy yawned loudly as she walked out of the classroom after Oz and Willow.   
  
“Buffy, I knew you didn’t like Spanish, but I had no idea the subject bored you so much." The redhead noted as they walked down the hall.   
  
“I just didn’t get much sleep last night. That’s all." Buffy explained in a low voice.   
  
“Bummed over your mom going out on a date, huh?" Willow gave her best friend a sympathetic look.   
  
“I’m adjusting." Buffy mumbled.   
  
“Hey guys!" They heard Xander’s booming voice as he approached.   
  
“Xander, you don’t have to shout." Cordelia grumbled as they all walked towards the cafeteria, suddenly, Buffy stopped.   
  
“What’s up, Buffster?" Xander asked.   
  
“I-I don’t think I’m hungry." She stuttered awkwardly.   
  
“Are you going on one of those stupid ‘eat nothing and get anaemia’ kind of diets?" The boy questioned.   
  
“No, you guys just go along and I-I’ll join you later."   
  
“Buffy, you really should-“   
  
Before Willow could say anything else, Buffy had whirled around and was steadily walking down the hall. Willow and Xander exchanged a concerned look.   
  
“What’s up with the Buffster?"   
  
“It’s her mom." Willow began as they entered the cafeteria. “She- Spike!" The redhead jumped up as the bleached teen appeared in front of her out of nowhere.   
  
“Hey, red. Where’s Buffy?"   
  
“She wasn’t feeling well. She doesn’t want to have…" She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as the Brit turned around and left. Willow instantly pouted. “Why’s everyone running from me?"   
  
“I won’t." Oz piped up, worming his arm around his girlfriend.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy walked idly down the hall as she made her way to the football field when someone grabbed her by her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom.   
  
“Spike." She jumped when she saw him and asked nervously: “What are you doing here?"   
  
“You’re not getting off the hook that easy." He said tilting his head as he leaned on the door, blocking her way out.   
  
“Wh-What are you talking about?" she stuttered.   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“Well… We already kissed, so… no need to do it in front of the whole student body anymore." She blurted out.   
  
He remained silent giving her a disapproving look, watching as she tried to excuse herself:   
  
“I-I mean, we’ve achieved our goal, right? We kissed, people know we kiss. We are officially perceived as a kissing couple. Goal achieved. No more kissing required. End of kissing talk." She ended her rambling taking a deep breath and waited for his reaction.   
  
Without a word, he walked over to her and she instinctively stepped back until the back of her legs hit the edge of a desk and he was able to close the distance between them. He towered over her as he questioned in a low voice, a smirk on his lips:   
  
“Why does the thought of kissing me make you so nervous?"   
  
She froze for a split second, before jumping up and awkwardly slipping away from him to quickly put the table between them.   
  
“Nervous? I’m not nervous." She tried to sound as sure of herself as possible, but failed as her voice came out in a squeak.   
  
“Just admit it." He said plainly, leaning over on the desk.   
  
Buffy immediately stepped back.   
  
“Admit what?"   
  
“That you’ve got the hots for me, pet. It’s only natural."   
  
“Ha! You’re funny!" She chuckled, but the uneasiness was still clear in her voice.   
  
Spike remained in place, just smirking at her.   
  
“Stop that!" She protested.   
  
“Stop what?"   
  
“That grinning thing. It’s disconcerting."   
  
“Oh! A big word!" He mocked widening his eyes while she narrowed hers.   
  
She stood up straight, crossing her arms around over her chest.   
  
“What do you want?" She grumbled.   
  
“Why are you afraid to kiss me?" He finally asked seriously.   
  
“I’m not afraid, just disgusted." She retorted.   
  
“Come on, Buffy…" He sighed audibly plopping onto a nearby desk.   
  
“Oh, fine, let’s do it." She said crossing the room and sitting on the table opposite to him, her eyes closed as she pushed her lips together.   
  
She waited and nothing. Finally, she opened her left eye to find Spike shaking his head at her.   
  
“What?" She asked bringing her shoulders together.   
  
“You…" He started pointing at her, before turning his finger on himself. “Kiss me."   
  
Chapter 15 Buffy’s eyes widened at his short statement.   
  
“What?!" She exclaimed as her legs dangled off the desk.   
  
“You heard me, Summers." He gave her a cocky smile and his scarred eyebrow rose up high on his forehead.   
  
She was about to protest, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times as a frown settled on her forehead, but soon realised it was no use.   
  
“Fine. Let’s get this over with." She exhaled sharply as she jumped off the table and closed the distance between them.   
  
“It’s so nice to feel wanted." He said with a sardonic tone, which earned him a forced smile from the blonde teen that now stood in front of him.   
  
A moment of silence filtered between the two of them and Buffy took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and pausing before opening them again. She slowly moved in, leaning into the bleached teen who still sat on one of the desks when suddenly, she backed away.   
  
“What?!" The bleached teen gasped, with a frown as he watched her walking around in circles.   
  
“Still haven’t gotten over the ‘yuck’ factor." She mumbled as she stopped to face him.   
  
He simply looked at her with an annoyed expression plastered on his face.   
  
“Take your time, Betty." He grumbled, emphasizing the last word.   
  
In a flash, she was standing in front of him, cheeks flushed and anger flashing in her green eyes.   
  
“It’s Buffy! How many times do I have to tell you? Buffy, Buffy, Buffy!" She almost screamed. “God! You know, I don’t know why I’m doing this." She waved her hands in the air as she started rambling. “I don’t think seeing Angel grovel at my feet is worth all the effort. You’re just so… so…" She struggled to find the right word.   
  
“Sexy?" He offered with a grin.   
  
“Grrrrrr…" She growled in his face. “I hate you." She said between clenched teeth.   
  
“Ditto." Spike answered with a plastic smile.   
  
Once again, she sighed audibly as she frantically struggled with her hair, pulling it away from her face and curling it behind her ears. She shook her arms at her side as if preparing for a race. Spike simply smiled. Closing her eyes once more and inhaling sharply she tried to calm herself. After a few moments of silence she was able to do so. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked down on him for a few seconds before quickly running her tongue over her lips to moisten them and leaned in. She could feel her heart slamming violently against her ribcage, her knees threatening to buckle from under her, the palms of her hands soaked as she tilted her head sideways and closed her eyes. Her mouth barely brushed over his bottom lip, for a first innocent contact. She pulled away, just a bit, to breathe in before she returned to her task. This time, she parted her lips, taking his lower one between hers, pulling lightly at it as the kiss built up.   
  
He remained frozen, his arms at his sides, partially supporting his weight on the desk, while she kissed him. He let out a deep groan as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth as if wanting to devour it and instinctively wrapped his arms around her, gruffly pulling her towards him until she was between his legs, her arms crushed against his chest. His left hand slowly made its way from her lower back to the crook of her neck, cupping her face to deepen the kiss.   
  
Buffy’s heart skipped a beat when she felt his tongue gliding over her mouth, as if asking permission to enter. Before she could even process the information, she was parting her lips, letting him in. A moan escaped her as they fought for dominance and the kiss intensified.   
  
They pushed and tugged at each other’s clothes as teeth and hands came into play. Buffy’s fingers curled around the collar of his shirt, bringing him closer to her while she leaned into him. They battled away and light moans occasionally filled the empty and silent classroom. Eventually, as lack of oxygen started to become an issue, Spike was forced to pull away from her. He looked at her from under hooded and dazed eyes, his forehead resting on hers as he tried to speak coherently:   
  
“Think you’re…" gasp “Over…" pant “the ‘yuck factor’?" He managed to ask her between gasps, his gaze alternating between her eyes and her swollen lips.   
  
“Not sure…" She inhaled sharply closing her eyelids, trying hard to control her breathing before uttering: “Better make sure."   
  
“Better safe than sorry…"   
  
Buffy nodded in agreement as his hand hungrily snaked under her ear to pull her toward him for another kiss.   
  
She had time for a short breath before he once more crushed her lips with his; his tongue slipping inside of her mouth with ravenous urgency. His hands slid down to her thighs, hooking under them and pulling her skywards as he stood up; her legs instinctively wrapping themselves around his waist.   
  
Buffy was so lost, she didn’t even notice she was being carried across the classroom and set on a hard surface. She partially opened her eyes to quickly glance down and realised she was sitting on the teacher’s desk with Spike nestled between her legs. She let out a deep groan as he nibbled his way across her jaw, towards the sensitive spot just below her earlobe.   
  
Spike inhaled sharply and buried his nose in her turtleneck sweater for a second as her scent surround her him. The sound of her gasping sent chills down his spine and his grip on her thighs tightened as his tongue caressed the tender skin of her neck.   
  
Suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched sound pierced through their combined haze.   
  
“Wha…" Buffy tried to ask, but it seemed impossible.   
  
“Hum…" She heard him moan as his mouth glided across her chin to reach her lips once more.   
  
“Sp-“ She wasn’t able to finish the word as he kissed her once again. “Spike…" She gasped when she had a chance. “The…" kiss “Hum…" kiss “The… ah…" She gave up and leaned in to deepen the kiss.   
  
Once again, their moans and gasps filled the room and they were lost in a blinding haze when, suddenly, loud, gossiping voices broke the stillness. The noise lasted for a few moments before coming to an abrupt halt. Buffy opened her eyes for a split second and they grew wide when she saw the door to the classroom wide open and a crowd of teens standing dumbstruck at the threshold. It took a while for her to recognize them but, eventually, she did. The short, gawking boy, whose hand still rested on the doorknob, was Jonathan, the teen next to him Andrew. The girl, who was still too shocked to close her mouth, was Harmony and the black clad figure right behind her? Who could it be, if not – Dru!   
  
Buffy froze, wide eyed, staring back at the mini-crowd gathered at the door. She was still too flabbergasted to realise a certain bleached teen was still nibbling at her ear.   
  
“Spike!" She called out, pulling at his duster.   
  
There was no answer besides a deep groan.   
  
“Why are you guys standing there like a bunch of idiots?" Angel’s voice hovered into the room as he made his way through the crowd. “Dru, honey, what going-“ He stopped in mid sentence as he witnessed the same spectacle as the others.   
  
“Spike!!!" Buffy screamed pushing him away with such strength that the Brit stumbled backwards and only didn’t fall flat on the floor thanks to a desk behind him.   
  
“Wha’?" He asked with a husky voice.   
  
There was no need for Buffy to answer his question as he soon turned to see the group of teens standing at the door.   
  
“Oh…" He managed to say; his gaze flying from the crowd to the flushed blonde still sitting on the desk.   
  
“I… We… I and- I" Buffy struggled with the words, trying to find an explanation for the event. “I…" She tried once more, but was unsuccessful.   
  
Her heart raced as everyone eyed her. She felt exposed, dirty. God, she felt… She had to get out of there. In a flash, she jumped off the table and was running out the door, pushing her way trough the teens, trying hard to ignore the look on everyone’s faces.   
  
Spike was left behind, being now the centre of attentions. In complete silence, he stood up straight, shoved his hands into his pockets and started to leave the room when a strong hand gripped his arm. He turned around to see a seriously pissed off quarterback staring down at him. Angel was about to say something when Dru leaned into him and whispered something into his ear. The dark-haired teen remained still for a few seconds, pondering what to do.   
  
“Got something to say, mate?" Spiked asked between clenched teeth.   
  
Without a word, Angel let go of his arm and the bleached Brit stormed away while the small crown started to disband.   
  
~+~   
  
“Buffy!" He shouted as he watched her run down the hall.   
  
Her response was to increase her speed as she opened the main door and exited the building.   
  
“Buffy, stop! Buffy!" He yelled after her.   
  
She didn’t answer, just continued to jog her way down the street.   
  
“Buffy! We need to… talk!" He began coughing as he was almost catching up with her when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and faced him with a murderous look on her face.   
  
“What?!" She snapped while she watched the bleached teen bend down and rest his hands on his knees as he gasped and panted violently.   
  
“I-“ cough “Why are you running?’"   
  
“Why?!" She yelled. “Did you see their faces? Did you?"   
  
“Yeah! I thought that was the point!" He said between gasps as he stood up straight, his hand resting on his stomach.   
  
“The point?" She practically screamed.   
  
“Yeah! Make them believe that we’re together."   
  
“And that I’m some kind of kinky slut that likes doing it on the teacher’s desk." She shouted.   
  
“Come on. They’re not going to think-“   
  
She cut him off:   
  
“Of course they are!" She howled. “I mean, everyone was there! By now the whole school knows!"   
  
“You’re exaggerating, luv. There were just a half a dozen kids there."   
  
“Half a dozen? Did you even see who was there? Every group in that stupid high school had a representative there. The nerds, the fashionably, bubbled-gum-brained cheerleaders, the jocks… God, even Dru was there to represent the freaky black-clad outcasts. But that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?"   
  
“What?!" He asked confused as the blonde teen continued to scream off the top of her lungs.   
  
“You probably planned the whole thing. God! How could I be so stupid?" She gasped as she brought her hand to her forehead. “You planned the whole thing! God! I hate you, so much, I-"   
  
“Ok." Spike decided to step in. “First of all - will you stop shouting for a bloody second, woman? I think you’ve just pierced my eardrum." He protested, sticking his finger into his ear as he cringed. “And second, how the hell would I plan the whole thing? I didn’t even know you weren’t going to eat at the cafeteria." He pointed out, but she was so enraged, she couldn’t even see straight.   
  
“I know you did. Just admit it and I won’t have to kill you; just cause you enough physical harm that will leave you paralysed from the neck down." She threatened with a flame in her eyes.   
  
“Buffy, listen to yourself. I could have never done that. Even if I was *that* much of a prick, I wouldn’t be able to do it." He tried to explain when she whirled around and started to walk away. “Buffy…" He breathed as he walked after her, but she came to a halt once again.   
  
“Don’t come anywhere near me, ever again." She hissed between clenched teeth and walked away.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy entered the house and, without a word, stormed up the staircase and entered her bedroom. Slamming the door behind her, she flung herself on the bed. In a few moments, a light knock on the door was heard.   
  
“Honey…?" Mrs. Summer’s soft voice filled the room as she entered it. “Are you ok? What are you doing home so early?" She questioned as she came closer to the bed and realised her daughter was crying. “Oh, honey, what happened? Buffy…"   
  
“It’s ok, mom. I just wasn’t feeling so good so I came home." Buffy quickly answered as she sat up straight and hastily wiped the tears from her flushed face.   
  
Mrs. Summer’s looked at her from under a frown.   
  
“It’s true, I’m fine. I just have this horrible headache." Buffy lied rather convincingly.   
  
“I knew you were coming down with something." The older woman exhaled sharply as she rested her hand on her daughter’s forehead. “You’re kinda warm."   
  
“I’m fine, mom. I’m fine." The teen insisted, running her hands across her face and pulling the rebellious strands of her hair behind her ears as she leaned on the headboard of the bed.   
  
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to catch something."   
  
Buffy nodded with a weak smile and Mrs. Summer’s stood up and walked over to the door.   
  
“Well, I’ll get you an aspirin and some vitamins, just to make sure. Do you want some hot-cocoa?" She offered as she stood at the threshold.   
  
“That’d be great, mom."   
  
The moment the door was closed Buffy slammed her head against the headboard as she let out an audible sigh. She ran her fingers over her face as she contemplated what had happened only half an hour ago. ‘God, how could I be so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now everyone in school’s gonna think I’m a slut that does it on the teacher’s desk." She let out a deep groan, closing her eyes and trying to erase the thought from her mind. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!’ she continued to insult herself in her mind.   
  
“It’s all *his* fault!" She finally said between clenched teeth. “God, I hate him soooo much! I’m gonna kill that bleached idiot! Kill, kill, kill…" She continued as the anger built up inside of her. “You kiss me." She said with a mocking tone. “I’ll give him the ‘you kiss me’. Grrr…."   
  
She slumped down on her bed and curled herself into the foetal position as she stared out the window. Soon, the screeching sound of a door opening was heard and light footsteps followed.   
  
“Thanks, mom." Buffy started as she turned around. “I don’t know- Spike!" She exclaimed as she saw the bleached teen standing by her bed holding a tray. “Get out!" she immediately hissed.   
  
“Now, luv don’t want to-“   
  
“I don’t want to hear it. Put the tray down and get out!" She raised her voice slightly.   
  
He obeyed to the first part of the command, setting the tray on the nightstand, but ignored the second.   
  
“Are you hard of hearing?"   
  
“I’m not leaving until you tell me why you’re acting this way." He replied in a low, calm voice that made her nerves act up.   
  
“Because… I… Hum…" She struggled for an explanation and finally hissed: “Cause the entire school thinks I’m a ho and it’s all you’re fault."   
  
“My fault? How is it my fault?" he asked defensively.   
  
“You were the one who caused it. You with you’re ‘You kiss me’ speech." The last sentence was said with a high-pitched semi-whining tone.   
  
“No one forced you to do anything, luv. Actually, as far as I can remember you seemed more than willing." He replied with a mocking tone, but the partial grin on his face soon crumbled as he saw the rage flare up in her green eyes. “Look, so they saw us snogging, it’s not like the entire world is going to fall apart."   
  
“You just don’t get it, do you? People will-“   
  
“Will what?" He interrupted her. “We weren’t doing anything wrong!" He sighed audibly.   
  
Buffy remained still, trying to find a reason for her rage, but couldn’t find any. He was right; there wasn’t anything wrong with what they had done. Sure it bordered on the kinky, but so what? They were teenagers; they were supposed to do dumb things.   
  
“Luv, just calm down and-“   
  
“Don’t call me that." She warned him.   
  
“Sorry." He apologized sincerely.   
  
They exchanged a look of truce and silence filtered between them. Finally, Buffy spoke:   
  
“Did you see the look on Angel’s face?" She said with half a smirk.   
  
“Yeah, the wanker looked like he was about to have a fit." Spike replied with a grin of his own as Buffy’s smile grew.   
  
“I never knew a person could turn that green." She chuckled as she started to relax.   
  
“Did you see Dru? Man, she looked like she as about to pop with envy." He laughed out loud.   
  
Something about the way he said it, maybe the sparkle in his eye as he spoke her name, made the subject a lot less funny to her. But, she ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach and continued in a low voice:   
  
“Guess, the plan is working, huh?"   
  
Spike’s smile seemed to dim at her question: “I guess."   
  
“Who would have thought they would fall for it?"   
  
“Yeah…" Spike breathed as the tension between them grew.   
  
“Well… I guess you’ll have Dru with you in no time."   
  
“Yeah." He paused for a second and swallowed hard before forcing the words out. “And you’ll have Angel."   
  
“My own personal slave." She said with a mocking tone and a smile. “Let the good times roll."   
  
Spike simply smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets. After a few moments of silence he finally decided to speak:   
  
“Hum… Summers?"   
  
Buffy looked at him as his gaze travelled from the floor to meet hers.   
  
“Are you still…" He paused, waiting for her to answer, but it was clear she didn’t understand the incomplete question. “Are you still… in love with him?"   
  
Buffy frowned a bit and tilted her head, but didn’t answer.   
  
“Hum… I’m sorry; I shouldn’t be asking this, I’ll just be going." He spoke quickly and awkwardly as he headed for the door. “Your mom’s probably going to worry about you having a boy in your room all this time and-“   
  
“She thinks you’re gay, Spike." She said with a devilish grin.   
  
“Don’t remind me." He grunted as he turned the knob and prepared to leave when Buffy spoke:   
  
“Hum… Spike?"   
  
“Yeah, luv?"   
  
“Me and the guys are going to the Bronze on Friday. Wanna come with?" There was a hint of insecurity in her tone and when he didn’t answer immediately she quickly added: “Totally on a ‘make Dru and Angel face the green-eyed monster’ basis, of course." He remained silent. “Dru will probably be there… would be fun to see if she pops this time." She continued with a weak smile. “Or maybe not, it’s your-“   
  
“I’ll be there, Summers." He interrupted her with a low, calm voice.   
  
“Oh…" She breathed. “Good." She said shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans as her feet fumbled with the edge of the carpet.   
  
“See you tomorrow, Betty."   
  
“See you tomorrow, William."   
  
She watched as the bleached hair disappeared behind the closing door and held her breath. A sharp ringing tone snapped her out of her thoughts.   
  
“Hello?" She asked as she picked up the phone.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
“Hey, Willow!"   
  
“Are you ok?" An extremely anxious and nervous redhead questioned from the other side of the line. “I mean people are talking that you and Spike were doing the nasty on Mr. Gulliver’s desk. Is that true? What happened? Are you ok? Did Spike do something-“   
  
“Willow, Willow. Slow down. Breathe. That’s it. Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale." Buffy coached. “And no, I wasn’t doing the *nasty* with Spike. We were just… you know…"   
  
“No, I don’t. That’s why I’m calling. Oh, and by the way, Xander had a heart attack when Harmony told him that she had walked in on you and Spike stark naked in-“   
  
“What?! God, I’m gonna kill that bleached airhead." Buffy grumbled between clenched teeth. “I wasn’t doing anything. We were just kissing, Willow. That’s all."   
  
“A-are you sure?" Willow hesitated.   
  
“I’m pretty sure. I mean, I *was* there and all, you know?" Buffy replied sarcastically.   
  
“So-sorry, I-I didn’t mean to-“   
  
“It’s ok, Wills. No need to go on stutter mode."   
  
“So, you’re ok then? I was just worried about you. You left school and didn’t say a thing, I thought…"   
  
“Nothing bad happened. I promise. I was just a bit… embarrassed out of my mind! Couldn’t really take the whole Gestapo-like inquiring and gawking."   
  
“I understand. Will you come to school tomorrow?"   
  
“Yes, don’t worry. Ok?"   
  
“Ok. Bye."   
  
“Bye, Willow."   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 1   
  
“Honey! I think Willow is here!" Mrs. Summers called out from the kitchen.   
  
“I’m on it!" Buffy bellowed back as she hopped down the stairs taking two steps at a time. “Hey, Wills!" She greeted the redhead with a huge grin as she opened the door.   
  
“Hey! Xander, Cordy and Oz are waiting in the van. Ready for some Bronzing?"   
  
“Sure!" The blond grinned wildly. She loved Saturday night outings. “Just let me get my coat."   
  
She walked briskly into the living room and picked up her leather coat that was draped over the coach.   
  
“Angel’s meeting us at the Bronze. Let’s g-“ Buffy was cut off as the phone rang. “Hello?" She started as she picked up the receiver. “Angel, we were just talking about… What? What’s the matter? You’ve got the flu?" she paused and Willow watched as the smile on her face quickly crumbled. “Oh… Ok, then. Sure, don’t worry, just stay at home and… drink lots of fluids. No, I’ll stay home too; don’t really feel like going out if you can’t. Don’t worry, ok? Night." With a disappointed sigh she put down the receiver.   
  
“He’s not coming?" Willow dared to ask.   
  
“No. Apparently he’s got the flu." The blond answered disheartened.   
  
“Really? He looked fine yesterday at football practice." Willow noted.   
  
“Must have gotten it from the guys in the locker room or something. You know, sweating and all, then cold showers and such." Buffy tried to justify.   
  
“Yeah… must be it." The redhead replied unconvinced.   
  
“Well, I’m staying then, but you guys go." The blond said, head bowed and her lower lip jutting out for a pout.   
  
“No way! You’re coming with."   
  
“Willow, I really don’t feel lik-“   
  
“I don’t care, you need to have some fun. You know, relax through major, all night partying." Willow stopped when she saw Buffy’s eyebrow cock up. “O-Ok, maybe not all night, seeing as we are seniors in high-school and all but… you know, partying till curfew time." As she finished her enthusiastic speech, the redhead set her lips in a straight line to emphasize her resolve.   
  
“Willow, I-“   
  
“I won’t take no for an answer."   
  
Buffy took a deep breath and sighed loudly before speaking:   
  
“Ok, fine. I’ll go."   
  
~+~   
  
A cloud of thick smoke engulfed them as the five teenagers walked into the club.   
  
“Ah! The ever familiar and intoxicating air of the Bronze is entering my lungs. I can die a happy man now." Xander sighed as he sat around the nearest available table.   
  
“I hate this place." Cordy protested as she practically coughed her lungs out.   
  
“Oh, come on honey. It’s the Bronze. It’s where we-“   
  
“One more word out of you and you’re a dead man Xander Harris." The brunette threatened.   
  
“Okay." A small hissing sound came from Xander’s lips as he inhaled sharply, giving his girlfriend his best ‘you’re my queen and I shall do as you command’ look. "Shutting up now and heading toward the bar to get some much needed refreshments. Orders."   
  
“Soda."   
  
“Soda."   
  
“Soda."   
  
“Coke." Willow piped up with a huge grin plastered on her face.   
  
“Three sodas and a coke coming up."   
  
“Oh, oh… Let’s dance." The redhead said giddily as she took Oz’s hand and practically dragged him to the dance floor.   
  
“Ok, I think for my best friend’s sake and for all of us present I’ll make that four sodas. No more caffeine for her!" Xander quipped walking away, leaving Cordy and Buffy behind.   
  
An awkward silence filtered between the duo. The truth was that they didn’t really know each other all that well. They had belonged to completely different groups all through junior high. Cordy always belonged with the high and mighty *in* crowd while Buffy mingled with all the rest – mere mortals. It had been that way ever since she could remember, but it had changed during the last summer. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Xander and Cordy had announced that they were an item and ever since then they had been hanging out together. Buffy had come to realise that beneath her popular bitch/queen act, the brunette was actually someone worth knowing. Cordy seemed to have vague, fleeting episodes of humanity in her and that was always a plus. But even so, they had never really gotten a chance to ever have a normal conversation.   
  
So there they were, sitting together, staring into the crowd, trying hard to ignore the screaming silence between them.   
  
“So…" Cordy finally ventured. “Angel didn’t come?"   
  
“No, he’s home, sick. He’s got the flu." Buffy answered quickly.   
  
“Really? I just saw him earlier today, he seemed fine to me." Cordelia started.   
  
“Maybe it wasn’t him." Buffy offered.   
  
“Oh, I go to cheerleading practice every week, I’m pretty sure I can identify the starting quarterback of our school when I see him." Cordy countered.   
  
Buffy was about to answer when Oz and Willow returned. A strange look was plastered on the redhead’s face. She seemed even paler than usual.   
  
“Willow? Are you ok? What’s wrong?"   
  
“Oh, nothing. Maybe we should all just go home." Willow replied.   
  
“Go home?" Xander’s voice hovered over them as he set the bottles on the table. “We just got here."   
  
“But, we should just go. I-I’m tired and… I need to go." Willow’s mind searched frantically for an excuse.   
  
“You’re tired, you were just jumping your ass off on the dance floor, giggling like a madman and suddenly you’re tired and you wanna go home?" Buffy asked.   
  
“Exactly."   
  
“Willow, what’s wrong?" Buffy could easily read the fear and nervousness in her best friend’s eyes.   
  
“Nothing, lets just go." Willow insisted as she glanced out of the corner of her eyes.   
  
“Wills, what-“ Buffy stopped in mid sentence as she followed Willow’s gaze. Everyone in the table did the same.   
  
“Hey, isn’t that Angel? What’s he doing with that skinny ho? I thought you two were-“   
  
“Cordy, honey…" Xander interrupted his girlfriend. “Shut up."   
  
“Angel?" Buffy felt as if the ground had been ripped from under her feet.   
  
She didn’t want to believe her eyes. Angel, her Angel, the Angel that was supposed to be home, in bed, sick, was actually out on the dance floor, arms tightly wrapped around a tall, skinny woman, whose black hair cascaded down her back as she ground her hips against HER boyfriend.   
  
“What…" She couldn’t speak as the lump in her throat grew to the point she thought she couldn’t breathe anymore.   
  
“Buffy, I-I’m sorry… I…" Willow stuttered clumsily as she saw the pain plastered over her best friend’s face.   
  
Chapter II The petite blond watched as the skanky girl nibbled at Angel’s neck while he closed his eyes in a clear sign of pleasure. Slowly, Buffy recognized her; it was the odd vapid ho that hung out with that idiot, Spike and the Goth crowd in school – Dru. As the seconds melted away, the pain gave way to anger and rage.   
  
In a flash, Buffy was up and crossing the dance floor. With all the strength she could muster she gripped Dru by her scrawny shoulder and threw her across the floor.   
  
“What? Buffy? Wha-what are you doing here?" Angel stuttered like an idiot.   
  
“That’s my line!" Buffy growled. “You were supposed to be sick, remember? In bed, with a fever. Not here, groping this trashy ho while she’s sucking on your neck."   
  
“Hey!" Dru objected. Before she could say anything else, Buffy’s small hands were on her throat.   
  
The two fell to the ground in a violent catfight.   
  
“Buffy!" Willow called out. “Xander, do something?"   
  
“What…? Huh?" The young man snapped out of his daze as his brain overrode the ‘Girl fight, cool.’ sequence of his programming and entered the ‘Buffy’s in a fight, gotta help’ mode.   
  
Grabbing Buffy by her waist, Xander pulled her off a very bashed Dru who could barely sit up.   
  
“Let go of me!" Buffy yelled off the top of her lungs as she wildly kicked the air and her nails dug into Xander’s hand. “I’m gonna kill you!" She continued to bellow.   
  
“Calm down Buffy, this isn’t the way!" Xander tried to explain, but the petite blonde would have none of it.   
  
The rage cursed through her veins, her eyes flashed brightly with fury.   
  
“You’re insane!" Dru screamed as she finally managed to stand up with Angel’s help.   
  
“Get your hands away from-“   
  
“From who? From him?" Dru asked, the arrogance building up in her sharp English accent as she pointed toward the tall quarterback. “He hasn’t been yours for a long time now, sweetie. Do you really think that he would be satisfied with a puny little thing like you. Please. He’s been coming to me, to *my* bed, for months now. Guess you were… how did you put it, Angel? Hum… Frigid!" She hissed. “Did you really think that he’d stay with you? The star quarterback with some insignificant loser. Ha! I had to bite my lip every time I walked by you in school, just so I wouldn’t start laughing at just how incredibly pathetic you are."   
  
Buffy felt as if the air had just been sucked out of the room and she couldn’t breathe. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly as she tried to speak, but she couldn’t. All eyes were on her; she could hear the snickering and whispering in the background growing.   
  
“Angel…" she finally managed to whisper.   
  
He simply looked at the floor, never giving her a glance.   
  
“I… I… I have to go." Buffy breathed as she ran out of the club, tear threading down her cheeks.   
  
~++++++++++++++~   
  
The moment she passed the threshold of the large door she felt the burden of a hundred eyes on her. She felt like she was in one of those cheesy teen movies, walking in slow motion through the halls while everyone turned to gawk at her, a look of pity plastered on all those faces. She felt her stomach turn and her breakfast quickly crawling its way up her oesophagus.   
  
She slammed her hand against her mouth and made a run for the girl’s bathroom. Once there, she entered the nearest available stall and threw herself into it. Dropping limply next to the toilet, she vomited.   
  
“Uh… Gross!" A high pitch voice was heard from the next stall as the fairly recognizable sound of someone regurgitating filled the room.   
  
Buffy breathed heavily, her head still hovering over the toilet as she waited for the next wave of nausea to take over. She stayed there for a few minutes, waiting for everyone to clear out of the restroom. The ringing of the bell sounded and she imagined having to face all those people again.   
  
By now, the few students that hadn’t been at the Bronze to witness her total humiliation had already heard of all the sordid details.   
  
“God… I hate my life." She exhaled noisily as she banged her head against the door before standing up.   
  
Slowly, she turned the faucet and let the water run for a while before splashing her face with the crystal liquid. She looked up at the mirror to see her pathetic, soaked expression staring back at her. She shook her head and closed her eyes for a second, searching for the courage to leave that bathroom.   
  
“Let the slaughter begin." She mumbled pushing the door open and walking down the hall.   
  
“Why if it isn’t Miss goody two shoes?"   
  
She felt the pain in her belly increase drastically at the sound of the familiar London accent. Buffy stooped dead in her tracks, but never turned to face him, instead she waited for the black clad figure to circle her and stand in front of her.   
  
“Late for class are we? Now, what would good old mummy think of that, Betty?" The bleached teen mocked with fake concern in his voice.   
  
“It’s Buffy! What do you want, bleach-boy?" she hissed at him.   
  
“Me? Nothing. Just being polite." He answered with a cocky grin.   
  
“You? Polite? Ha!" she laughed forcibly as she restarted walking.   
  
He followed her.   
  
“So, what are you doing out of class?"   
  
She stopped and turned to face him with a frown.   
  
‘He doesn’t know?’ was the mantra in her mind as the cocky Englishman shoved his marble white hands into the pockets of his trademark black duster.   
  
“Why don’t you ask your skanky excuse for a girlfriend?" She quipped.   
  
“Hey! Don’t ever call Dru that!" Anger flashed in his eyes.   
  
“Why? That’s what you call people who go around stealing other people’s boyfriends." She held her chin up as she looked into his eyes.   
  
“What are you talking about, you bint?" He hissed back.   
  
“I’m talking about your *girlfriend* and my *boyfriend* having a major make out session in front of everyone at the Bronze on Saturday." She talked quickly as the images of that evening flashed before her eyes and served to fuel her anger.   
  
Suddenly, his hands were on her arms and she felt her back slam against the lockers. The bleached teen glared at her, teeth clenched tightly, highlighting his sharp cheekbones.   
  
“You better take that back." He hissed angrily.   
  
She swallowed hard as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat.   
  
“It’s true." She never lost face, the words coming out washed in despise and rage.   
  
“You’re lying!" he accused her.   
  
“Apparently, you didn’t know your *sweet* girlfriend has been boning *my* boyfriend." She answered back.   
  
He closed his eyes for a second as he tried to get his nerves under control and stop himself from beating this girl into a pulp.   
  
“You don’t believe me? Go ask your vampire wannabe of a girlfriend." She gathered her courage, grabbed his hands and forced him to let go of her arm. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got classes to go to."   
  
And with that she whirled around and quickly made her way to her next class.   
  
Chapter III   
  
“We need to talk." His voice was sharp and low as he grabbed Dru by her arm and dragged her to the nearest corner.   
  
“Spike! What-“   
  
“Is it true?" He interrupted her. “Please, tell me it isn’t true."   
  
“What isn’t true, Spike?" She asked with a soft voice as she ran her hand across his cheek.   
  
He closed his eyes for a split second before gripping her hand and pulling it away.   
  
“Answer me!" he ordered.   
  
She took a deep breath and sighed. Making an irritated face she answered simply:   
  
“Yes."   
  
“What?!" He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.   
  
“I’ve been with Angel. I was going to tell you-“   
  
“When? When everyone in school already knew about it and were laughing behind my back?" He growled.   
  
“I knew you wouldn’t understand." She sighed annoyed.   
  
“Bloody right, I don’t! Dru? You’re *my* girl." He said desperately.   
  
“Not anymore." She answered plainly.   
  
“But-“   
  
“It’s over Spike, I’m with Angel now. I’m sorry."   
  
She walked away, leaving him standing there.   
  
Buffy dragged her feet as she walked.   
  
“They’re all looking at me." She grumbled.   
  
“No, they’re not." Willow lied.   
  
“Willow, I’m not blind or deaf." The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed as she plopped her tired body on the chair setting her tray on the table.   
  
“It’ll all blow over in a couple of weeks, when they get another thing to gossip about." Oz offered, looking at his plate and trying to identify which of the mounds were the mashed potatoes and which were the meatloaf. He had the feeling that by the end of high school all they would have would be a large puddle of unrecognisable organic matter for lunch.   
  
“I really hope- Oh, God no!" She breathed as she saw Angel walking into the cafeteria, his arms draped across Dru’s skinny form.   
  
“Buffy, just calm down."   
  
“God, I swear, by the end of the year I’m gonna break something off of him." The blonde hissed between clenched teeth as she furiously pounded her fork into her food.   
  
“Um… Buffy?" Oz called with his usual monotonic voice. “I’m pretty sure they don’t serve live animals in American high schools for lunch. It’s probably against a whole bunch of laws so, no need to kill it."   
  
“What?!" Buffy looked at her plate and realised that she had just spread the food all over the table. “Um... sorry. I think I’ve lost my ap-"   
  
A loud banging sound was heard as the trio turned, just in time to see Angel crash into Jonathan, sending them both spiralling over the freshly waxed floor. A very pissed Spike hovered over them.   
  
“You stay away from Dru." He growled.   
  
Quickly, Angel stood on his feet and towered over the shorter boy.   
  
“Or what?" the quarterback shot back.   
  
Spike’s answer came in the form of a punch and soon someone was yelling off the top of their lungs:   
  
“Fight!"   
  
Masses of testosterone driven teens screamed and cheered enthusiastically, coming to circle the fighting pair as the two exchanged hard blows.   
  
“What is going on here?" A loud booming voice was heard and everyone turned to see principal Snyder standing by the door.   
  
The crowd quickly dispersed to reveal two bloodied up boys frozen in position.   
  
“You two…" He started, the intense pleasure evident as he spoke. “Are getting detention for a week. Now, move it. In my office."   
  
The two boys still had time to exchange a dirty look as they untangled themselves and walked after the short, bald man.   
  
~+~   
  
“Poor Spike." Willow sighed as she sat on the bench next to Xander.   
  
“Poor Spike? What about me? Publicly humiliated at the Bronze, remember?" Buffy protested as she walked around in circles in front of her two best friends.   
  
“Oh, you too, but…Spike, well… you know, he’s been crazy about Dru ever since I can remember and to see his long time girlfriend going around smooching with Angel can’t be giving him any happy, fuzzy bunny feelings." Willow tried to explain.   
  
“Who cares about Spike and happy, fuzzy bunny feelings? He’s an idiot and he probably got what he deserved." Buffy grumbled under her breath.   
  
“As much as I love to despise that bleached foreign freak I have to agree with Willow on this one. Spike’s always been head over heels for Dru; he worships the ground she walks on. No, actually any ground in the near vicinity of that girl!" Xander corrected himself.   
  
Buffy’s response was a heavy sigh paired with an annoyed roll of her green eyes.   
  
“They’ve been together ever since Spike moved here, like two years ago, and you and Angel have only been dating since this summer, you can’t comp-“ Seeing the deadly look the petite blonde was shooting at him, Xander quickly added: “Ok, shutting up now for fear of seriously irreparable head trauma."   
  
Exhaling sharply, Buffy plopped on the bench, between Xander and Willow.   
  
“God, I hate this school." She grumbled.   
  
“Buffy, you…" Willow trailed off as she saw a fairly battered Angel walk out into the patio.   
  
Buffy and Xander glanced in the direction of the redhead’s frozen gaze to see Dru running hysterically towards the tall quarterback, wet handkerchief in her hand, ready to nurse Angel’s bleeding lip.   
  
“Kill, kill, kill, kill…" Buffy whispered the demonic mantra, which her friends easily picked up.   
  
The entire patio came to a screeching halt as they saw the infamous bleached Brit walk out a few moments after the quarterback. Everyone froze to see what would happen. Those who expected a big scene or another bloody fist fight were clearly disappointed as Spike simply glanced at the couple and walked away with a bowed head as he dug nervously into the pockets of his duster, clearly in need of an extra dose of nicotine.   
  
“You can seriously tell me you don’t feel sorry for the poor guy?" Willow asked incredulous.   
  
“Hum… No?" Was Buffy’s sarcastic answer. “I’m too occupied with hating Angel and that skanky ho to feel any sort of empathy for anyone, specially not that bleached idiot."   
  
“Why do you hate him so much?" the redhead questioned. She had never quite understood it.   
  
“Ok, need I remind you the first time I met him was when he was pulling my pony tail and screaming off the top of his lungs ‘Fake blond ahead, danger, danger.’ ?"   
  
Willow’s eyebrows came together in a painful frown as she remembered the petite blonde’s humiliation.   
  
“Plus he’s so full of himself, and cocky and annoying as hell with that ridiculous accent and stupid bleached head. And what’s with those absurd Billy Idol wannabe outfits? Plus those bizarre combat boots and old as hell duster and… stupid accent. He’s and idiot!" she finished her clearly negative description.   
  
“You said ‘stupid accent’ twice." Xander noted with a grin, but it soon crumbled as Buffy narrowed her eyes at him.   
  
“I just don’t like him that’s all. He’s made my high school life a living hell since he first came here two years ago." Buffy stated as the bell rang and the trio stood up and walked to their classes.   
  
Chapter 4 Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) The days passed and eventually the looks thrown in Buffy’s direction lessened. She walked briskly through the halls, clutching her books against her chest as she looked at her watch. She sighed in relief when she reached her destination and stood quietly peeping through the hole between the large stands. She still caught the last 5 minutes of football practice, cursing under her breath the entire time as she watched the star quarterback run through the field.   
  
“Buffy, there you are!" Willow sighed in relief.   
  
The petite blond jumped up hitting her head on the stand above her.   
  
“Ouch! Willow, what’re you doing here?" Buffy grumbled as she scratched the sore spot on her skull.   
  
“Watching you torture yourself into insanity." Willow stated tilting her head towards the field.   
  
“I-I wasn’t… I…" She tried to explain but it was no use, she got caught.   
  
“You’ve been following Angel around for weeks now, you have to move on." The redhead pleaded.   
  
“I’ll move on when I see him on his knees begging me for forgiveness." Buffy set her mouth in a straight line to show her resolve.   
  
“You still want him back, don’t you?" Willow asked.   
  
“What? No!" The blonde teen answered truthfully. “I just want to seen him suffer and grovel at my feet so I can tell him ‘You’ve missed your chance.’" An evil revengeful glow sparkled in her eyes as she spoke, clearly envisioning her moment of triumph.   
  
“Buffy…" Willow tried to reason with her, but Buffy started walking away.   
  
“Don’t even try to talk me out of this one. I’ll find a way to get him, and until I do I’ll just follow him!"   
  
~++++++++++++++++~   
  
She walked quietly several feet behind him so she would remain unnoticed. She already knew where he was going. It was Friday night, he was obviously going to pick her up. Bastard!   
  
As the dimly lit house came into view, Buffy left the sidewalk and hid behind the tall bushes. She heard the unnatural rustle of leafs and looked up at the nearest tree.   
  
“Oh, God! What a freak!" She whispered to herself at the sight of a bleached teen moving between branches, straining to see what was going on on the front porch of the house.   
  
She picked up a long stem and reached up to poke the Brit on the ass. Startled, Spike lost his balance and tumbled down the tree, falling on his ass with a thud.   
  
“What was that?" They heard Angel ask.   
  
“Probably just the cat." A clearly feminine voice answered. It was Dru.   
  
Spike looked up to see Buffy cockily towering over him.   
  
“You’re pa-“   
  
A flash of anger coursed through him and in a blink of an eye he was up, his hand covering her mouth his body crushing hers against the tree he had just fallen off of. They glared silently at one another till Spike felt a sharp pain in the palm of his hand and instinctively pulled his hand away from her mouth.   
  
“Ouch!" He hissed as he checked his hand for any sign of injury. Sure enough he found a small, but deep and flaming red bite mark. “You bit me!"   
  
“You’re pathetic, you know that?" She hissed at him. “Skulking in the dark and spying on your ex.   
  
“I’m pathetic? You mean to tell me you’re not here because you’ve been following the big poofter back there?" Spike countered tilting his head towards the house.   
  
“I-I…"   
  
“You think I don’t know you’ve been walking around the school following him everywhere?" He asked with a cocky grin.   
  
“Well at least I don’t go around climbing trees and making poor little lost puppy eyes every time I see my ex." Buffy hissed triumphantly.   
  
“I’m love’s bitch and I’m man enough to admit it." He confessed proudly raising his chin.   
  
Buffy had no quick comeback for that one, so she settled for a pathetic:   
  
“Crazed stalker."   
  
“I love Dru, I’ve always loved her, ever since I can remember. I’m not gonna lose her to some Yankee ponce." He stated .   
  
“Oh, now that’s just sad." The blonde looked at him with pity.   
  
“Like you’re not dying to have you’re big, greased poof back. All he’d have to do is ask and you’d be parting your knees for him." He growled. But he didn’t have much time to gloat at his not so witty comment as he felt an excruciating pain take over his entire body as her knee connected with his groin.   
  
“Pig!" She snorted, seeing him fall limply to the ground, clutching his privates as he repressed a much-needed howl.   
  
She turned on her heels and walked away.   
  
~+++++++++++++++~   
  
Willow hugged her books against her chest as she walked side by side with Buffy and Oz. She took in a deep breath, exhaling sharply as she entered the familiar building.   
  
“Ah… Monday! Don’t you just love it?" She asked with a huge satisfied grin on her face.   
  
Under heavy eyelids, the blonde threw a glance in her best friend’s direction before shaking her head and sighed audibly.   
  
“You’re in serious need of psychiatric treatment, you know that, right?"   
  
“What? I like school, so?" The redhead shrugged.   
  
“My point exactly. Liking school is one of the clear signs of a very obscure neurological dysfunction that destroys the part of your brain that enables you to distinguish between fun and hard, bad work." The blonde theorized.   
  
Willow’s right eyebrow cocked up and Buffy continued with a serious tone:   
  
“It’s true. There’s a part of any teen’s brain where we have defined the following logical equation: fun equals good, school equals bad, bad and good are opposites therefore school is the opposite of fun. Hence," Buffy shook her head emphatically “no happy faces and deep content sighs on Monday mornings, especially at nine am. It’s considered highly pathological otherwise."   
  
Willow’s brow furrowed further and she finally asked:   
  
“Who are you and what have you done with Buffy?"   
  
The blonde sighed heavily and replied:   
  
“I couldn’t sleep last night. Again! So I stayed up late watching the Discovery channel. Big show on Psychology and Logics, hence the whole theory. Don’t worry, it’ll probably go away in- Spike!" Buffy stopped her explanations as a bleached teen stood in her way and blocked her path.   
  
“Need to talk to you, Betty!" He said with a dry voice, throwing a glance towards Willow and Oz.   
  
“It’s Buffy." She hissed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. “And I can’t now, I have classes." She tried to move around him, but he took a step and once again was towering over her.   
  
“It won’t take long." He grumbled.   
  
It was clear he didn’t want to be there. He scanned the hall and saw the several frowns that surrounded them. It was easy to understand why. Everyone at that school knew the seething hatred that the blonde pair nurtured for one another. Obviously, they expected the usual shouting, swearing and occasional fists flying that usually developed within five minutes of the two being within five feet of each other. This time it wasn’t happening. Why? All the students wondered as they watched Buffy sigh and signal Willow and Oz to go on without her.   
  
“What do you want, bleached-wonder?"   
  
“Talk to you." He explained.   
  
“I’m here. Talk."   
  
“Not here." He frowned, throwing evil glances at all the students that stared at them, before grabbing Buffy by her arm and dragging her out of there.   
  
  
  
Chapter 5   
  
“Ouch! That hurts!" She protested, trying to pull her arm out of his grip but failing. “Let go!" she practically screamed as they rounded a corner and reached the back of the school.   
  
He came to a halt and let go of her arm.   
  
“That hurt, you troglodyte." She grumbled rubbing her sore arm. She continued a string of curses as she realised that the next day she would have finger-shaper bruises on her bronze skin from his not too delicate handling. “Stupid, idiot, foreign, brainless oaf."   
  
“Are we done with the cursing, luv?" He asked annoyed.   
  
“No! You’re also a Neanderthal and stop calling me luv." She protested again. “What do you want?"   
  
“Dru back." He answered simply.   
  
She paused for a second before speaking.   
  
“Ok, I realise you’re a bit slow and all but…" She began to speak slowly, exaggeration in the articulation of the words: “I. Am. *Not*. Dru." She tilted her head towards him, as if trying to ascertain if he had understood her.   
  
“Oh, Dru you’re *definitely not*." He said with a sarcastic tone, which made the petite blonde flinch.   
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?"   
  
“Let’s not go down that road." He quickly tried to change the subject. If he wanted Buffy’s help, offending her was definitely not the way to get it. “I think we can help each other. You want your big ponce back, I want Dru, we should join forces." He concluded.   
  
“Two things: I would never, ever join *anything*with you and I don’t want Angel back. I just want him to contract a very painful venereal disease that involves the decaying and falling off of his private parts." She finished her statement with a huge plastic grin.   
  
Spike couldn’t help but wince at the description. Shaking himself out of that bad place in his mind he spoke:   
  
“You don’t want Angel? You’ve been following him everywhere since you broke up." The bleached teen pointed out the obvious.   
  
“Just until I find the best way to inflict maximum pain to that cheating bastard." She explained harshly.   
  
Spike paused for second, pondering the new development. Annoyed, Buffy sighed and began to walk away.   
  
“How about having him head over heels for you again?" He offered.   
  
She cocked an eyebrow, coming to a halt:   
  
“I’m listening."   
  
“I can help you get him back. Even if you show him you don’t want him, he’ll be grovelling at your feet." He started to explain.   
  
“Grovelling is good." She said simply as she waited to hear the rest of the plan.   
  
“And at the same time I can get Dru back."   
  
“So what do I have to do?" She enquired.   
  
“Pretendtobemygirlfriend." He said in one breath.   
  
“What?!" she yelped. “Has all that bleach finally sunk into your brain and caused irreparable damage?" She questioned incredulous.   
  
“The moment the 2 of them see us together they’ll go nuts with jealousy. Dru still loves me I know it." Spike quickly explained.   
  
“What about Angel?" She cocked her head.   
  
“He never could stand seeing me and Dru happy. That’s why he’s after her. If he sees me with you, he’ll want you."   
  
“You’ve hit your head recently, haven’t you?" She asked sincerely.   
  
“No. I’m telling you it’ll work. Trust me. I know Angel."   
  
“Trust? You? Oh you’ve definitely lost it pal." She laughed.   
  
Growling, the bleached teen reached into his pockets and took out a pack of cigarettes, bringing one to his lips and lighting it.   
  
“Hey, hey, hey! No smoking!" She grabbed the cigarette, which dangled from his mouth and dropped it to the floor twisting the sole of her shoe on it.   
  
Spike gave her an evil look, and it was clear he was doing all he could to keep himself from ringing her pretty little neck.   
  
There was a moment of silence. Buffy scanned the outlying football field recognizing the form of the quarterback. In the distance she saw a black clad figure clapping hysterically at each successful pass the teen performed. She felt her stomach twist in disgust. Without turning to look at the bleached boy behind her she asked:   
  
“What do I do?"   
  
“Hang out with me. People have to see us together, holding hands, hugging and such." Spike explained.   
  
“No, nooooo way it hell!" She shook her head emphatically waving her arms around in a clear sign of disagreement as she turned to face him. “I’m not touching you!"   
  
“You don’t see me hopping around singing ‘oh, joy! Oh, joy!’ either, luv."   
  
“Ok, deal." She agreed reluctantly. “But we hang out with *my* crowd."   
  
“What? No!" It was his turn to shake his head.   
  
“I’m not going anywhere near your monochromatic, Goth pals. No way and that’s final. We do it my way or it’s off." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and set her lips in a straight line waiting for his answer.   
  
Eventually, he gave up and shaking his head mumbled:   
  
“Fine, we’ll do it you’re way."   
  
“Good. When do we start?"   
  
“Hum… tomorrow?"   
  
“Ok, tomorrow we’re officially a couple."   
  
“One more thing. No one can know about our little deal or it’s off." He warned her.   
  
“Sure. Otherwise it would defeat the whole purpose of it, now wouldn’t it?"   
  
“Just making sure. No telling Red, or the whelp or anyone!"   
  
“What? Willow’s not gonna tell anyone."   
  
“I don’t care. No one can know."   
  
“But…"   
  
“No buts, blondie."   
  
“Fine!" She agreed looking at her watch. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed. “I’m late!" looking up at him with a deadly gaze she added: “This is all your fault. I hate you!"   
  
“Same here!" He shouted after her, watching her run to her next class.   
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  
She exhaled sharply as she entered the house, dragging her aching feet on the floor plopping down on the couch with closed eyes and sighing. Her heavy eyelids shot open when she heard a deep male laughter coming from the kitchen.   
  
“Mom…" she whispered to herself, forcing her tired body to stand.   
  
As she reached the threshold of the tiled room her jaw fell to the floor. There, around the isle, sat her mom and…   
  
“Spike?" She asked incredulous.   
  
The Brit muffled his laughter at the sight of the petite blond.   
  
“What are you doing here?" Buffy inquired as she noticed the mug of hot chocolate set in front of Spike.   
  
“You’re friend William came by to get your notes from English class." Joyce explained standing and walking toward the counter, picking up a kettle. “More hot chocolate?"   
  
“William?" Buffy mouthed the name and could barely refrain from laughing.   
  
The blonde shot her a dirty look before answering her mom.   
  
“No thanks, Mrs. Summers. I’ll just get those notes from Buffy and I’ll be on my way."   
  
He stood up as he spoke, walking towards Buffy and discreetly, wormed his long fingers around her arm, dragging her to the hall.   
  
“William?" She repeated, this time she wasn’t able to suppress the chuckle.   
  
“What?" He grumbled.   
  
“Sorry, just forgot you were William. It’s just such a…" Buffy pondered her words. “… delicate name."   
  
Spike forced a plastic smile on his lips for a glimpse of a second before snarling:   
  
“What’s wrong with William?"   
  
“Nothing. Just forget it." Buffy shook her head. “What do you want, bleach boy?"   
  
“We have to talk about tomorrow."   
  
Buffy looked over his shoulder and noticed her mom straining to hear what they were saying. She tilted her head toward the stairs and made her way up, with Spike following her close behind.   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6   
  
“Speak." She said entering her bedroom.   
  
Spike remained silent for a moment, scanning her room. A cocky grin settled on his lips as he saw a stuffed pig on her bed.   
  
“What?" she asked annoyed.   
  
“Nothing." He mumbled, shaking his head.   
  
“So, what about tomorrow?" She sighed audibly.   
  
“We have to figure out the details."   
  
“Such as?"   
  
“What do we tell your buddies?" he offered.   
  
“That a piano landed on my head and suddenly going out with you doesn’t seem as revolting as it should?" She quipped looking up at him with a boastful grin.   
  
“You’re cracking me up, luv." He grunted sarcastically.   
  
Sighing heavily, she let herself fall on her bed.   
  
“I don’t know what to tell them." She mumbled as she stared up at the ceiling.   
  
“Well, we have to come up with something convincing."   
  
She turned her head towards him and made a face.   
  
“I don’t think this is such a good idea anymore."   
  
“Oh, come on, Betty! You can’t back out now. It’s just for a few of days. If I can stand it so can you. I mean, don’t you want to have the poof grovelling and drooling over you. Just imagine him on his knees begging for you to come back to him and you telling him to get a life in front of the whole school." Desperation was clear in his voice.   
  
Images matching the description the blonde had made flashed before her eyes and she felt the overwhelming rush of power and vengeance course through her veins. She exhaled sharply and sat up on the bed.   
  
“Ok! I’ll do it." She agreed, causing Spike to sigh in relief. “But first you are definitely going to have to memorise my name. It’s Buffy. Get it through that bleached head of yours. Bu-ffy. It’s not that hard."   
  
He nodded and sat down on the bed next to her.   
  
“Now… about the guys. I’ll just tell them that… I changed my mind. I don’t know. I’ll just say that…" She looked up at the ceiling as she pondered. “I got it!" She piped up triumphantly. “I’ll say that I was being mugged and that you came in the nick of time and saved me. Brilliant!" She congratulated herself.   
  
“And you think they’ll buy it?" He asked a bit suspicious of their plan.   
  
“They’ll have to." She shrugged. “Now, one thing’s important, we can’t just announce all of a sudden that we are… you know…" Her index finger danced between them , alternating between pointing at him and at herself.   
  
“Snogging?" Spike offered.   
  
“Yeah." Buffy rolled her eyes. “It’ll have to take time. Be gradual. Otherwise no one’s gonna go for it. I mean, everyone at that school knows we hate each other’s guts."   
  
“But that way it’ll take forever." Spike protested.   
  
“I know Willow and Xander, they won’t go for it if it’s any other way." She insisted.   
  
“Fine." Spike reluctantly agreed. “So what do we do tomorrow."   
  
“We take it slow. You’ll sit with us at lunch. Something like that. No touching, no nothing. Just friendly talking."   
  
“What do we talk about?"   
  
“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out as we go along."   
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  
Joyce Summers let out a deep sigh as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They were out of her room, finally. Thank God! She was really starting to feel very uncomfortable with her daughter being in a room alone with a teenage boy.   
  
“So, did you get the notes?" She tried to act nonchalant about it.   
  
“What?"   
  
“The notes you needed from Buffy?"   
  
“Oh, those! Yes, Mrs. Summers." Spike answered promptly.   
  
An awkward silence filtered between the three and Buffy was the one to break it:   
  
“Well, you gotta go do that… thing. Don’t you?"   
  
“Hum… Yeah! I do. Gotta go. I’m actually late." He said quickly heading for the door. “Thanks for the hot chocolate, Mrs. Summers and good evening."   
  
Buffy closed the door behind him and turned to jog up the stairs when she heard her mom clear her throat in the international Mom-daughter code for ‘We need to talk’. Sighing audibly, the teen came down the steps and entered the kitchen after her mother.   
  
“Buffy, what was your idea taking that boy up to your room? I mean, he’s a nice boy and all, but you know what I’ve told you about boys in your room. It’s strictly forbidden, I don’t-“   
  
“Mom, calm down. We weren’t doing anything. I promise." Buffy guaranteed. “We were just talking."   
  
“It doesn’t matter, you can’t have boy in your room. You never know what might happen and…"   
  
“Believe me, nothing was or will ever happen between me and Spike. I guarantee you. I’m *definitely* not his type." Buffy tried to explain to her mother.   
  
“What do you mean not his type?" Joyce enquired.   
  
“Just trust me on this one." Buffy spoke as she recalled the strange affection the bleached teen had for Dru. She had never really understood it. It just seemed psychotic, he followed her everywhere, was constantly concerned with her well being, papering her and doing everything she asked of him. It seemed like an obsession. “I’m definitely *not* his type."   
  
“Oh!" Her mother brought her hand to her lips as a realisation struck her. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know he was…" Joyce pondered her words carefully.   
  
“He is mom." Buffy admitted, as she thought her mom was referring to his being totally head over heel over another girl.   
  
“Oh, in that case it’s ok." Joyce agreed as she returned to her dishwashing.   
  
“What’s ok?"   
  
“Him being in your room. If he’s gay he’s like a… girlfriend."   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened.   
  
“What? Mom, he’s not-“   
  
She was cut short as the phone rang. Quickly she went to pick it up, making a mental note to talk to her mom and make sure she got things straightened out.   
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  
Willow mindlessly shovelled her food around in her plate, her eyes scanning the cafeteria. Suddenly, they widened as she saw a certain bleached teen heading their way and eventually sitting next to Buffy, dropping his tray next to hers.   
  
“Hey!" he greeted.   
  
Everyone at the cafeteria froze, including Xander; his fork dangling from his lips.   
  
“Hey!" Oz calmly replied.   
  
Buffy braced herself as she noticed the questioning looks Willow and Xander were shooting at her.   
  
“Hello, Spike." She piped up in a low voice; her eyes never diverting from her plate. It wasn’t a very pretty sight, but at least it kept her safe from the hundreds of eyes that fell upon her.   
  
“So…" The Brit tried to start up a conversation, but it seemed impossible considering the near catatonic state Willow and Xander were in.   
  
“So…" Oz repeated. Outstretching his hand he introduced himself. “I’m Oz."   
  
“Spike." Spike replied shaking his hand.   
  
“I know." Oz stated.   
  
The silence at the table seemed heightened by the low whispering that now plagued the cafeteria.   
  
“Why are you here?" Willow finally managed to snap out of her daze.   
  
“Just felt like sitting with the damsel in distress here." Spike answered shovelling the food into his mouth.   
  
“Damsel in distress?"   
  
“Yep. Betty-“ Spike winced as Buffy kicked him under the table. “Hum… Buffy, here was being mugged on her way home and…" Spike glanced towards Xander only to realise that a fork was still dangling from his mouth. “Ok! That" he pointed at the boy. “Is really starting to freak me out. Is it normal?"   
  
Immediately, Xander pulled the fork out of his mouth and set in on the table.   
  
“Anyway, I happened to be passing by and was her knight in shining armour."   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7   
  
“You saved Buffy from being robbed?" Xander finally asked.   
  
“Oh, he can speak." Spike mocked sarcastically. “And yep. Beat him up real good. And he wasn’t small either. Big, beefy, six feet and a half. Huge, giant- Ouch!"   
  
He winced as Buffy once again aimed the heel of her boot to the sensitive flesh of his shin.   
  
“He’s exaggerating." The blonde intervened giving the table a wide, plastic smile.   
  
“No, I’m not. He was huge and he had a gun-“   
  
“No, he didn’t!" She cut him off shooting fireballs from her green eyes.   
  
“Yes, he did. You just didn’t see it." Spike insisted.   
  
“No, he didn’t."   
  
“Yes, he did."   
  
“No, he –“   
  
“Someone please stop them." Oz pleaded monotonically.   
  
“I-I think that the important thing is that you’re safe and nothing bad happened." Willow, ever the diplomat intervened.   
  
The two blondes eyed each other in disgust, eventually returning their attention to their plates. The rest of the meal was spent in an awkward silence.   
  
“Well, we better go." Buffy suddenly stood up as the stillness finally got to her.   
  
“Yeah. Classes and all." Willow agreed following Buffy and leaving the three men alone to stare at each other.   
  
  
  
~+~   
  
  
  
“What were you thinking?" Buffy shrieked as she strode quickly down the road.   
  
“I was just doing what you told me to." Spike defended himself as he quickened his pace to catch up to her.   
  
“Six feet and a half? And with a gun?" She stopped to look at him, incredulous.   
  
“What? So I embellished." He admitted.   
  
“Embellish? You call that embellish?" She asked with a frown. “I think you should buy yourself a dictionary because *that* was definitely not embellishing.   
  
Embellishing doesn’t even begin to cover it. I mean, do you honestly think that they would believe you. How dumb do you think they are?" She saw the cocky grin starting to spread over his lips and quickly added: “Don’t answer that."   
  
With a loud sigh she began walking again, her house coming into view at the horizon.   
  
“I wanted to make the story a little more interesting." Spike tried to explain himself.   
  
“Interesting? I thought we were aiming for believable." She snarled as she continued to make her way home without dispensing him a glance.   
  
They walked briskly and reached the front porch of her house.   
  
“Look, I’m sorry, alright?" He apologized.   
  
“Sorry?" She started but he interrupted her.   
  
“Ok, could you please stop repeating every word I say? It’s really starting to get to me."   
  
“Grrr…" She growled pushing the door open and entering the house.   
  
She stomped her way up the stairs and into her bedroom with Spike trailing behind. Her hand automatically reached for the hem of her shirt when she glanced at him with an annoyed look.   
  
“Do you mind? I’m trying to get undressed here."   
  
“Oh! Sorry, luv! I’ll just wait downstairs." Spike said awkwardly heading down the hall.   
  
  
  
~+~   
  
  
  
Angry footsteps echoed through the house as she made her way down the stairs.   
  
“What are you still doing here?" She asked as she saw the Brit sprawled on her couch, TV remote in his hands as he mindlessly flipped through the channels.   
  
“You’ve got cable." He noted without looking at her.   
  
“I know that. It’s my TV; it’s my living room, my house. What are you still doing in it?" Her words oozed with sarcasm as she stood there, arms folded over her chest.   
  
Spike turned his head and glanced at her before returning his attention to the screen.   
  
“We don’t have cable at home. Da thinks TV is a bad influence. Wants me to read books instead." He mumbled.   
  
Buffy stomped her way to the middle of the living room, standing between the Brit and the TV.   
  
“You’re blocking the view, luv." He grumbled looking up at her.   
  
“Glad you noticed, it was the point. What are you still doing here?"   
  
Sighing audibly, Spike sat up and turned off the TV.   
  
“Talk about tomorrow."   
  
“What about tomorrow? Spike, wake up. It’s over! It didn’t work." She tried to make him see.   
  
“Of course it did." He disagreed.   
  
“What reality were you in? Cause in mine people were staring at us like we were two green eyed freaks or something. Everyone knows we hate each other. It’ll never work." She maintained.   
  
“It’s going to work." Spike insisted standing up.   
  
“Ok. Which part didn’t you get? Cause I can explain it again if you need me to."   
  
“I need to make this work, Bet-“   
  
“IT’S BUFFY!" she screamed waving her hands in the air and trudging her way into the kitchen, leaving him behind.   
  
After a few seconds, the Brit was in the tiled room, leaning against the fridge.   
  
“I’m sorry." He mumbled.   
  
She just stood there, a warm mug of hot chocolate in her hands, watching him with an annoyed expression.   
  
“I need for this to work…" he started after swallowing hard. “I-I need her back. I need Dru with me or…" The words chocked in his throat.   
  
Somewhere, deep inside, she felt a hint of pity for the poor guy, but before she could stop herself, harsh words escaped her parted lips:   
  
“You’re not gonna cry, are you?"   
  
Spike froze, feeling as if someone had just punched him hard in the stomach. Looking up, he narrowed his eyes, instant anger flashing in them. Without a word, he turned on his heels and exited the house, slamming the door behind him.   
  
She stood there for a second, a pang of regret causing her to ponder going after him. In took a few seconds, but eventually it disappeared and she turned towards the sink to wash the cup in her hands.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 8   
  
Buffy let her head fall limply to the desk, while in the background Mrs. Finch’s monotonic voice rambled on about the importance of mining being reflected in the prevalence of Crown rights over mineral wealth throughout much of Europe.   
  
“God! Just kill me now and end my suffering." She mumbled between clenched teeth.   
  
As if someone had answered her prayer the bell rang out. In a flash, the petite blonde straightened up, looking wide eyed at the round clock up on the wall.   
  
“It’s miracle!" she sang out, gathering her books and stuffing them into her backpack. “I survived! Thank God this Friday’s over"   
  
“You really do hate history, don’t you?" The redhead asked as she waited for her friend.   
  
“More than anything in the entire world." Buffy answer as she walked out of the classroom followed by Willow. The small blond came to a halt as she saw the familiar bleached teen further down the hall. “Correction: it’s the second thing I hate most in the world."   
  
Willow sighed audibly as they made their way down the large corridor stopping by Buffy’s locker.   
  
“So we are back to hating Spike?" The redhead asked.   
  
“What?" the blond teen asked absentmindedly as she rummaged trough the contents of her locker.   
  
“Hating Spike. Back on the priority list?"   
  
“Oh, top priority! I’m definitely over my momentary lapse of reason on that one." she nodded emphatically handing her books to Willow. “Hold these for a second."   
  
“Good, cause that little episode in the cafeteria yesterday just seemed… wrong."   
  
Buffy smiled reaching to take the books back from her best friend when the conversation going on a few feet away from them caught her attention.   
  
“Come on, luv. Just for a second. I need to talk to you." Spike’s begging tone made Buffy’s stomach crunch up as she turned to see the blonde teen leaning on the row of lockers lined up against opposite wall of the corridor.   
  
She watched as the bleached Brit pleaded with an unyielding, black clad Dru.   
  
“Please, just for a sec. I just need to talk to you, luv. Please!" He practically implored while the dark haired girl remained unaltered, arms crossed over her chest, staring annoyed into nothingness, occasionally letting out a disgusted sigh.   
  
“Are you done yet? I told you Spike. It’s over I have nothing to say or hear from you. Get a life already, you’re starting to border on extremely pathetic." She spat out turning on her heels to leave while everyone in the hall eyed the public humiliation of the Brit. But he didn’t care. He needed to talk to her, get some sense into that pretty little head of hers, so he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.   
  
“Please, luv…" He begged once again.   
  
“Let go of me!" Dru bellowed freeing her arm from his grip. “I-“   
  
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you."   
  
The entire hall froze in place, watching the petite blonde snake her arms around Spike’s and give him a light peck on his chiselled cheek. Turning to Dru with a wide grin on her face Buffy greeted politely:   
  
“Hey, Dru!"   
  
The dark haired girl’s response was a deep frown, while Spike simply gawked at the small that now held hands with him.   
  
“Well, we better go." She said, practically dragging a dumbstruck Spike by his hand as she made her way down he hall. “Bye, Dru." She waved lightly at Willow as she passed her by. “Bye, Willow. I’ll call you later."   
  
The redhead was left behind, gawking at the odd couple, her jaw glued to the floor along with everyone else’s.   
  
~+~   
  
Her arms snapped away from his the moment her feet touched the concrete on the other side of the street, away from prying eyes. She cringed a bit and doubled her pace as she noticed the bleached teen still staring at her. After a few painfully silent steps she came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him.   
  
“What?" Buffy asked trying to sound as annoyed as she could, but the dominant emotion in her was definitely unease.   
  
He cocked his head and his lips curled to one side for a light smile. Nodding, he said softly, setting his mouth in a straight line:   
  
“Thanks, luv."   
  
She was a bit thrown by his reaction, it actually bordered on sincere. This was novelty. She shook her head nervously as if trying to push down the strange feeling that crept up her spine.   
  
“You’re welcome, but don’t expect me to do that for you again anytime soon. I can feel a strange allergic reaction coming just from touching you." She tried to sound convincingly disgusted but failed miserably and she could tell he wasn’t buying it as his trademark smirk crept over his lips.   
  
He shoved his hands into his pockets and restarted to walk alongside her.   
  
“Whatever you say, pet."   
  
“And don’t call me pet!" She snapped at him as a deep frown settled over her eyebrows in a frustrated attempt to emphasize her discontentment.   
  
“Sure, luv."   
  
There it was again! On his face! That stupid, obnoxious, cocky grin that was making her… nervous? What?! No! Stupid, obnoxious, cocky grin was supposed to make her angry, disgusted not… nervous. Never nervous. Buffy kicked herself mentally as she realised too much time had passed since his last reply for her to come up with a successful comeback. “Stupid distracting grin!" she thought to herself as she kicked a pebbled that laid in her path.   
  
Once again they walked in a nerve-racking silence, making her fidget with the straps of her coat. Suddenly, she whipped her head around to face him.   
  
“Why are you here?" She asked out of nowhere.   
  
“Because my da and mom were really horny about 18 years ago?" He offered with a smirk.   
  
“Stupid, distracting… Concentrate!" She scolded herself mentally.   
  
“Oh, you’re funny!" She replied sarcastically.   
  
He smiled at her and eventually answered her question, matter-of-factly:   
  
“Walking my girlfriend home."   
  
Somehow, that simple phrase made it impossible for her to control her breathing and swallowing at the same time and she was practically coughing her lungs out as she choked.   
  
“Are you ok, luv?" He asked a bit concerned as he watched her bend over, trying hard to breathe.   
  
At his question, she looked up at him, flushed face, shooting daggers at him.   
  
“Don’t *cough*… call me *cough*cough*…"   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as another onslaught of coughs took over her.   
  
“Here. Drink some of this." Spike handed her a silver flask and without thinking the petite blonde tilted into her mouth, spilling its contents down her throat.   
  
It took a few seconds for her brain to register the strong burning sensation that seemed to smoulder down her entire oesophagus. Instantly, she dropped the flask and restarted another coughing fit. Spike watched in panic as the petite blonde’s face changed from red, to purple, to blue and finally back to infuriated scarlet as she began to scream at him:   
  
“ARE YOU INSANE? WHAT THE HELL WAS IN THAT THING?"   
  
“I-“   
  
“Do you want to kill me? Is that it? I know we hate each other but…" The anger built so far up that she wasn’t even able to construct coherent, logical sentences anymore, so she simply started to march her way down the street and up the steps of her front porch with a panicked Spike trailing closely behind.   
  
Chapter 9   
  
Spike watched with a deep frown over his eyebrows as Buffy, with her head tilted backwards, vigorously gargled before spitting into the kitchen sink. She turned to face the bleached teen with a disgusted look still plastered all over her face.   
  
“God, I can’t-“ spit “get that horrible" spit “taste out of my mouth." She whinged, moving towards the refrigerator.   
  
She quickly picked up the first available bottle, tilted its content into her mouth, gulping loudly as the liquid passed her throat. Setting the glass on the table she waited for a second, smacking her lips together and cringing as she realised the awful taste was still in her mouth. It was no use and with a resounding sigh she plopped down on a nearby stool.   
  
Spike remained at the doorway, leaning slightly into the wooden frame there. After a few moments, Buffy looked upwards throwing him a murderous glance.   
  
“I hate you." She grumbled as she smacked her lips together once more.   
  
“Same here, Betty." He answered, crossing his arms over his chest.   
  
She opened her mouth to protest, but gave up half way. She was too tired. It was Friday afternoon and she’d had a full week, she just didn’t have the energy to spar with the annoying Brit. So she chose to remain there, perfectly still, occasionally letting out a sigh or two in the feeble hope that he might take a hint and simply leave. To her misfortune he did no such thing. On the contrary, in a sluggish pace, with the same exasperating grin plastered on his face, he made his way to the counter and took a stool opposite to hers.   
  
“What do you want, bleach boy?" She grumbled as she held her head between her hands, her fingers buried in her blonde strands, her eyes staring down at the white counter. Before he had a chance to answer, she let out a heavy a sigh and looked up to stare at him under hooded eyes. “Why do you insist in torturing me? Just go. Go. Away. Be free." She waved a tired hand at him, but he paid no attention to it.   
  
“You know it’ll work. That’s why you helped me out today."   
  
“No, I helped you out because the spectacle was just so painfully pathetic, that it just wasn’t fun to watch anymore." She replied, standing up, taking the bottle into her hand and placing it back in the refrigerator. She turned and leaned on its door as she continued: “Are you a masochist or something? Is that it? Cause I can’t understand why in God’s name you would put yourself through that embarrassing public humiliation just for her. What do you see in that skanky vapid-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as the bleached teen was on his feet and towering over her small form in an instant.   
  
“You hold your tongue when you talk about her." He growled between clenched teeth.   
  
A hint of fear sent a chill down her spine as she looked up at him, but her facial _expression never testified to it. Her strong, obstinate look was still on and it didn’t falter for a second, even though she couldn’t help letting out a small sigh of relief when he backed away moments after:   
  
“Look, I’m sorry… I- Just don’t talk about Dru that way." He finally managed to say as he moved back to the counter to lean on it.   
  
With her hands held up in the air in a sign of surrender she moved away from him and replied:   
  
“Fine."   
  
They stayed in an awkward silence for a few desperate minutes, both trying hard to find a topic that would put an end to their torment. Spike was the first to try:   
  
“So…"   
  
“So…" she replied.   
  
“What about the plan? Is it back… on?" He dared to ask.   
  
She couldn’t help but smile slightly.   
  
“You really like her that much, huh?"   
  
He simply nodded. It wasn’t necessary for him to say anything. Sighing once more, she shook her head as she couldn’t believe what she was about to say:   
  
“Ok. Fine. I’ll do it." She grumbled in a low voice.   
  
An instant spark flashed in his eyes.   
  
“What?" He asked incredulous.   
  
“Are you deaf or something?"   
  
He shook his head.   
  
“I said I’ll do it, ok?"   
  
In a flash he was off the counter and had his arms wrapped around her, smashing her small form against his chest in the process. Buffy froze, her paralyzed arms were glued to her sides, her blonde head popping out just over his elbows. She didn’t know what to say. She was in shock. Eventually, when she realised he wasn’t going to let go of her any time soon, she dared to pipe up:   
  
“Hum... Spike? What are you doing?"   
  
The simple question was enough to bring the teen down from his heightened emotions and in an instant he let her go, took a step backwards and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his duster in an awkward motion.   
  
“Sorry. Wasn’t thinking." He apologized.   
  
“Next time you have an euphoria-induced brain spasm, let me know, ok?" She said with a deep frown on her forehead.   
  
He simply nodded and slumped back onto the stool.   
  
“Why are you sitting down?" she asked, giving him a discontented glance, a perfectly shaped eyebrow cocking up.   
  
“Hum..." He mumbled confused. “We have to plan."   
  
“Plan what?"   
  
“What we are going to do tomorrow. You know. How we are supposed to act." He tilted his head to emphasize that he was stating the obvious.   
  
“Oh..." She frowned for a moment, pondering which would be the limits and finally answered: “We’ll walk together and hold hands." And with that she turned around and concentrated on washing the two dirty dishes that her mom had left in the sink.   
  
“Hold hands? That’s it?" He asked incredulous, coming to stand next to her.   
  
Buffy’s eyes were fixed on the plate she held in her hands. Scrubbing it incessantly as the nervousness took over.   
  
“Y-Yes." She replied in a faltering tone.   
  
“Oh, come on! Dru and Angel are never going to believe it if they don’t see some snogging." He protested.   
  
“Hey! I’m not going to-“ She struggled with the strange word as the jitteriness seemed to affect her ability to speak coherently. Finally, she managed to yelp as she shook her head emphatically: “There will definitely be no snogging. And there will be no one watching me and... you and... I- NO SNOGGING!" Her eyes dropped to the sink. ‘Damn it! No more dishes! What do I do now?’   
  
Spike smiled as he realised what she was thinking.   
  
“Snogging, luv. It means making out, french kissing. Nothing else."   
  
“Oh..." She sighed in relief when suddenly realisation came. “Wait! You want me and you to kiss? French kiss?!"   
  
Spike nodded.   
  
“Oooooh no! No way! I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole, let alone let you stick your slimy tongue down my throat. Yuck." Her face contorted and cringed in all sorts of ways as she walked about the room, nervously searching for something to occuppy herself with.   
  
“We’re just supposed to hold hands?! They’ll never believe it and you know it!" He insisted.   
  
“I. Am. Not. Kissing. You." She said flatly.   
  
“But-“   
  
“Take it or leave it!" She stood tall, her chin held high in a sign of resolve and he couldn’t help but sigh, shaking his head as he mumbled.   
  
“Fine... We’ll hold hands..."   
  
  
  
Chapter 10   
  
“What do you mean she walked away with him?" Xander asked incredulous, staring wide eyed at the redhead who walked alongside him.   
  
“I mean she just slid her arm around his and dragged him out of school ." Willow explained for the 100th time.   
  
“And you haven’t spoken to her the whole weekend?" The teen continued to question.   
  
“Nope. Tried to call her but no one answered."   
  
“But-“ Xander trailed off as the subject of their discussion came up from behind the duo.   
  
“Hey, guys." Buffy greeted with little enthusiasm.   
  
“There you are! Where were all weekend?" Willow questioned as they continued to walk down the hall.   
  
“Don’t ask. My mom’s maternal instinct decided to kick in full force this weekend. End result, some major mother/daughter bonding overload. Had to spend the whole time going through family photo albums, cooking and baking lessons. God! She even felt the need to chit-chat about those little fornicating birds and bees. If I have to her my mom say the word penis one more time I swear I’ll shoot myself." Buffy cringed as she remembered a few gory details.   
  
“Sorry to hear that." Willow gave her best friend a sympathetic look and Buffy sighed.   
  
Suddenly, looking more closely, she realised everyone in the hall was gawking at her.   
  
“Oh God! Do I have like a giant pimple on my face?" Buffy asked in a panic, to which Xander and Willow both shook their heads. “Then why is everyone staring at me?"   
  
“Maybe because of the weird Spike-loving event back on Friday afternoon?" Xander offered with a hint of sarcasm.   
  
“Oh, that..."   
  
“Yes, that! I thought we were back to “hating Brit boy’s boney ass" mode."   
  
“Well, we-“   
  
Buffy wasn’t able to finish her sentence as two strong, long arms wormed their way over her shoulders to settle over her waist and a hard chest now pressed against her back. ‘A definite male chest!’ Buffy mentally noted. Before her brain had time to question who it belonged to, a low, whispering voice in her ears gave her the answer.   
  
“Morning, luv."   
  
Buffy’s froze, her heart seemed to leap up to her throat, while Willow and Xander’s eyes were just about to pop out of their sockets.   
  
“Hey..." she greeted back with much less enthusiasm.   
  
She could feel herself blushing, her skin heating up. ‘God, this is just so strange. WRONG! WRONG! Go away! Don’t touch me! Yuck!’ A squeaking voice screamed in her head, but she forced it into the background as she put on her best imitation of a smile.   
  
“So, how are you?" She asked as she turned her head to face him, his arms still wrapped around her, her back still glued to his front.   
  
“I’m fine." The Brit answered.   
  
Buffy was suprised to find a perfectly calm and cool Spike grinning back at her. For a second she seemed to zone out and when she was back to full attention the last thing she heard was:   
  
“...do you have now?"   
  
“Huh...? What?" The petite blond asked, shaking her head as she realised she was still staring up at the teen who was now idly playing with the edge of her shirt. ‘Stupid distracting smirk!’ She thought as she turned to face Xander while Spike repeated his question:   
  
“What class to you have now, luv?"   
  
“Hum..." Buffy struggled with her memory, but for some strange, disturbing reason, the feel of his chest and his legs pressing against her back seemed to block all her thinking abilities. Thankfully, a life-saving Willow intervened.   
  
“We’ve got History."   
  
“Yes! History!" Buffy repeated as the bell rang.   
  
“Well, see you in third period. We’ve got English together, right?" Spike enquired as his arms slid away from her and his body untangled itself from hers.   
  
“Hum..." ‘Think stupid! Think!’ she ordered her brain. “Yes, I-I think we do."   
  
“See you later then." He shouted as he made his way down the hall, leaving three dumbstruck teens behind.   
  
“What. The Hell. Was that?" Xander tried to ask as calmly as he could manage.   
  
“Uh... It’s... Hum..." Buffy struggled. “We better get going, don’t want Mrs. Finch on our cases. See you later, Xander." She shouted as she quickly made her way to her next class, a confused Willow trailing behind her.   
  
“But-“ Xander was left standing in the middle of an empty hall as the two girls snuck into their class room.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy stared at the small, crunched up piece of paper lying on her desk. Written in small black letters, she read:   
  
“What was that all about?"   
  
She looked up and to her right to find a wide eyed Willow staring back at her.   
  
“Later." The petite blond mouthed.   
  
“Miss Summers!" Mrs Finch’s voice hovered over the class and everyone turned to gawk at the offending teen.   
  
“Sorry, Mrs. Finch."   
  
The elderly woman nodded slightly and returned to her dull rambling about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the social structure of the British society.   
  
When she realised she was off the hook, Buffy turned to whisper:   
  
“I’ll tell you later, I promise."   
  
~+~   
  
The bell rang and, in a flash, Willow was standing next to Buffy, books pressed against her chest, eyes staring widely at her friend, anxiously waiting for an explanation.   
  
“What’s happening, Buffy?" The redhead asked as her patience ran out.   
  
The petite blonde paused for a moment when she finished packing her books and looked up at her best friend. She really didn’t want to lie, but she had promised. The teen swallowed hard and, in one low and quickly breath, worded:   
  
“Spikesmyboyfriend."   
  
With that she quickly made her way to the door.   
  
“What?!" A stunned Willow shouted after her.   
  
Buffy never had a chance to answer as she entered the hall she bumped into someone, her books tumbling to the floor.   
  
“I’m sor-“ She stopped in mid sentence as she finished gathering her books and looked up to find a black clad Dru staring arrogantly down at her.   
  
“Watch where you’re going!" She snapped.   
  
“I said I was sorry." Buffy apologized as she stood up straight.   
  
With a chesty turn of her head, the black clad teen walked away, leaving the two best friends alone to talk.   
  
“Explain." Willow said simply.   
  
“Spike and I are going out." Buffy tried to sound as nonchalant about it as possible.   
  
“Since when?"   
  
“Since... Last Friday."   
  
“How?"   
  
“We figured out that we have a lot in common."   
  
“Like what?!" Willow promptly asked.   
  
“Like... I don’t know... A lot of stuff. Like..."   
  
“An intense reciprocated loathing for one another?" Willow offered with a hint of sarcasm.   
  
Buffy shook her head as she opened her locker.   
  
“I can’t explain it to you. We’re together now. Things changed."   
  
Willow opened her mouth to say something, but Buffy cut her off.   
  
“Just trust me, Willow. I know what I’m doing."   
  
And with that the bell rang and the two teens headed their separate ways.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy nervously tapped her pencil on her desk as she heard the teacher read the same poem for the second time. Every once in a while she dared to throw a glance in the bleached teen’s general direction and almost every time she found him scribbling something on his notebook. What did he write in that damned thing. Every Monday morning was the same thing. He’d come into class, sit in his place and just scribbled away the whole time. Could he be taking notes? In English class? Buffy shook her head as the ringing of the bell snapped her out of her thoughts. She was putting her books into her backpack when she saw someone approaching her from the corner of her eyes.   
  
“Ready to work on your acting skills, pet? Cause you sure as hell are long way from an award winning performance. What was all that staring about back in the halls, by the way?" He asked.   
  
“What staring? I don’t stare." Buffy said simply as she continued to stuff her things into the bag, before turning to leave the classroom.   
  
“Whatever." The teen sighed as he snaked his arm around her waist.   
  
“Hey!" she instinctively slapped his hand away from her.   
  
“You better get used to it, luv. Our overnight passion won’t look very believable if you keep jumping up every time I come near you, now will it?" He asked tilting his head.   
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed, taking his hand in hers she dragged him out of the classroom and into the hall where everyone turned to look at the odd couple.   
  
“They’re staring. They’ll never believe this." Buffy said between clenched.   
  
“They’ll believe it. Trust me, pet." He answered her in the same fashion.   
  
“This is a stupid plan. It’ll never work." She grunted stopping in front of her locker and opening it.   
  
“Will you stop being so- Your pals are coming our way." He warned her as he watched Willow, Oz and Xander coming down the hall.   
  
“Oh, great! More questions. God, I hate my life!" She grumbled as she closed the locker and turned to smile at her friends. “Hey, guys!"   
  
“Hey!" Xander greeted back, eyeing Spike as the bleached teen once again wormed his hands around Buffy’s waist.   
  
“How was Math?" Buffy asked as she tried to break the odd silence that began to form between the group.   
  
“Painful." Was Xander’s short answer.   
  
“Oh..."   
  
Silence. Incredibly uncomfortable silence. Oz was the only one who didn’t seem affected by the strange situation. He idly played with one of Willow’s auburn strands as he scanned the hall. It wasn’t hard to realise everyone was staring at the small group, especially the blond couple that was now holding hands.   
  
A general sigh of relief was heard as the bell rang.   
  
“Well, see you at lunch." Buffy said as she tried to walk away from the Brit but he held onto her hand:   
  
“I’ll walk you to your class."   
  
Xander threw the Brit a look. This was just... Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! And it was making him extremely nauseous. He swallowed hard as he watched the duo walk away.   
  
~+~   
  
They sat in silence, the entire cafeteria stared at their table.   
  
“So..." Cordelia was the one to break the stillness. She had been waiting the entire day to ask a question, ever since Xander had told her the news it had become an itch she was just dying to scratch. So, being Cordelia, she did: “Since when are you and Buffy here going steady?"   
  
The food that had been in Xander’s mouth was suddenly splattered all over his tray. The boy practically coughed out a lung as he heard his girlfriend’s blunt question.   
  
“I didn’t think the food here could look more disgusting than it already did. I was wrong." Oz stated monotonically as he looked at the mess displayed in front of Xander.   
  
Spike frowned watching the teen sitting oposite to him, who continued to have a coughing fit. With the most serious tone in the world the Brit asked:   
  
“Are you sure he’s house broken?"   
  
Buffy couldn’t help a smile as a bright red Xander looked up to shoot daggers at the bleached teen. After a few moments, after drinking about a gallon of water, the brunette was able to sit up straight and actually breathe. He stood up, picking up his tray and handed it to one of the cafeteria ladies before coming back to take his place between Cordy and Willow. The growingly familiar silence was back, until:   
  
“You and Buffy are an item, huh?" Cordelia’s voice hovered over the table, closely followed by a loud thud.   
  
Everyone turned to see Xander repeatedly bang his head against the table, muttering something unintelligible between clenched teeth. But this time the distraction wasn’t enough and Buffy was forced to answer:   
  
“Yes."   
  
“Why?" Cordelia promptly continued her interrogation.   
  
“Why?!" Now that was a smart question. Everyone who had dared to enquire about her choice of ‘boyfriend’ had asked something along the lines of – How, not why. “Well... He and I... and..." Buffy struggled for an explanation.   
  
“It’s physical!" Spike aka Night in Shining Armour stepped in. “She just couldn’t resist my darn sinister attraction." He said with the most serious tone in the world. “I think she fell for me when I saved her."   
  
“From being mugged?" Cordelia asked as she recalled her conversation with Xander on the subject.   
  
“Yep."   
  
Buffy just sat in her place, trying hard not to roll her eyes. ‘God! The nerve of some people!’ In her mind a string of curses was directed at the Brit, who now stretched his arm across the back her chair.   
  
Cordelia frowned a little but decided to accept the explanation, especially since her boyfriend was currently kicking her in the shin under the table and the resulting ache was starting to make itself known. They continued their lunch and this time the stillness between the group didn’t seem as dreadful or as uncomfortable as before.   
  
Suddenly, extreme silence took over the entire room as all the kids gawked at the entrance to the cafeteria. Buffy and Spike turned around to find the object of everyone’s attention and the two blondes couldn’t help but gulp as they watched Dru and Angel walk into the room. The two couples exchanged electrically charged glances as they remained perfectly still for a second. Everyone watched as the quarterback crossed the room towards the blond duo, his heavy arms draped over Dru’s shoulders. He came to a halt and looked down at the sitting couple.   
  
“Buffy." He greeted dryly. Turning to look at the bleached teen sitting next to the petite blond he practically spat: “Spike."   
  
“Angel. Dru." The Brit greeted back with a plastic smile as he possessively put his arm around Buffy.   
  
Silence. Everyone waited and watched.   
  
“Buffy, I have some of your notes back home." Angel started. “When do you want them back."   
  
“Keep them." Buffy answered dryly as she felt her stomach turn at the sight of Dru pressing herself against the quarterback’s large chest. Her hands traced suggestive patterns on his stomach as she shot Buffy a dirty look. “I don’t need them."   
  
The teen was taken by surprise by her cold and distant tone, but soon recovered. He stood up straight and mumbled:   
  
“Fine. Suit yourself."   
  
And with that he turned on his heels and left, dragging Dru with him.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 11   
  
As soon as she could, she made her way out of the cafeteria and ran as fast as she could to the nearest bathrooms, locking herself in the stall furthest from the door. She sat on the covered toilet, waiting for the adrenaline in her system to reach acceptable levels. The confrontation in the cafeteria had been too much, but she had to admit she was pretty proud of her reaction to the dark haired couple. She felt her stomach flip-flop at the memory of Dru haughtily clinging to Angel, trying as best as possible to let her know that he was now *her* property.   
  
“Arrogant little..." Buffy began between clenched teeth when she heard a light knock on the door.   
  
Frowning, the petite blonde bent down to peep from under the door to find to a large combat boot tapping the tiled floor impatiently. In a flash, she opened the door.   
  
“What the hell are you-“   
  
She was cut off as the Brit covered her mouth with his hand.   
  
“Do you want to get me into trouble?" He asked, but before she could answer him she was being dragged by her hand out of the bathroom, down the hall and out the side door of the building to reach the back of the school.   
  
“Why did you drag me here?" She snapped annoyed.   
  
He ignored her and grinned wildly at her.   
  
“Did you see Dru’s face? And the poof? God, I never thought it would work this fast. This is just bloody fantastic!" He exclaimed as he walked around in circles, rubbing his hands together.   
  
Buffy scratched her head as she observed the bleached teen ramble on and on about how the plan was amazing and was working perfectly.   
  
“Pretty soon Dru will be so jealous she won’t have a choice but to come back to me. God! I miss her so much!"   
  
Something about the way he said it, the sincerity in his tone maybe, made her stomach turn and she had to fight back the urge to kick him.   
  
“Did you drag me here to listen to your pathetic love struck ramblings, Romeo?" The petite blonde grumbled, crossing her hands over her chest and leaning on the wall.   
  
“Listen, Betty."   
  
At that, Buffy made an attempt to protest, but he never gave her a chance:   
  
“No matter what you say, or how nasty you are right now, you are *not* going to ruin my good mood. I guarantee you." Spike promised, a goofy smile still plastered over his lips and an annoying sparkle brightening his blue eyes. “I saw what happened back there. She still loves me, I know it!"   
  
“She practically glued herself to Angel!" Buffy retorted.   
  
“Because she was jealous."   
  
“Men really like to fool themselves." She sighed loudly.   
  
“She loves me!"   
  
“She doesn’t care about you! Get it through that thick skull of yours, you big oaf." She insisted, but he wouldn’t hear of it.   
  
“I know Dru."   
  
“Right. That’s why you knew she was boinking the star quarterback of the school."   
  
At that, the smile on his face crumbled, quickly being replaced by a strange empty look in his eyes. She watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed hard. Without a word he turned to leave, but her small hand gripped him by his arm.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“   
  
Before she could finish he was in her face, raw anger flashing in his eyes.   
  
“You are the most self-centred, heartless, stubborn little brat I’ve ever met in my entire life." And without another word he stormed out of there, his long black duster swaying in the breeze as he left.   
  
~+~   
  
She sighed heavily, letting her fingers thread between her long blonde strands. She stared blindly ahead at no particular object or person. The feel of a light tap on her shoulder made her jump up to attention.   
  
“Willow!" She greeted as the redhead took a seat next to her on the bleachers.   
  
“Hey!"   
  
The two sat in silence watching the empty football field, until the taller girl spoke:   
  
“So..."   
  
Buffy cut her off before she had a chance to speak any further:   
  
“Willow, am I self-centred?"   
  
She slowly rocked herself back and forth, hugging her denim-covered legs against her chest.   
  
“Of course not. Why do you ask?" Willow frowned.   
  
“Nothing." Buffy shook her head and returned her gaze to the green field that spread before their eyes.   
  
“What happened?" The redhead enquired.   
  
Buffy rested her chin on her knees; her eyes never leaving the grass as she spoke:   
  
“What about heartless and stubborn?"   
  
“Where did you get that from?"   
  
Finally, she turned to look at Willow.   
  
“Be honest."   
  
“Well…" The redhead girl hesitated for a moment. “You can be a bit... harsh sometimes. Especially if you’ve been hurt." Willow admitted.   
  
Buffy closed her eyes for a few moments and then stood up.   
  
“I gotta go. See you in Spanish, Will."   
  
~+~   
  
She looked for him in the entire school; the only place left to search was the library. It was useless. He had left. Even so, she decided to give it a try. Her eyes widened as she entered the room and found the familiar black-clad teen sitting at a table scribbling in his notebook.   
  
“Hey." She whispered as she approached him.   
  
He jumped up and immediately slammed the notebook shut.   
  
“What do you want?" He grumbled.   
  
Taking her time, she prepared to sit next to him, but the moment she bent down he was up and walking over to a wall covered with books. She sighed and walked after him.   
  
“Ok, I deserved that." She grumbled apologetically, but he wouldn’t hear of it as he moved along the corridor, apparently looking for a book. “Spike!" She called out a bit too loud and was immediately shushed by the resident librarian. “Sorry!" she whispered as she turned to walk after the bleached teen. “Spike!" she hissed pulling at his duster, but he continued to pretend she wasn’t even there, staring up at the shelves.   
  
Having no choice, she moved between him and the bookcase. She held her breath as she realised that her simple motion had put her in a very precarious situation - her back pressed against the shelves and a thin 2-inch thick veil of air separated her from the boy standing in front of her.   
  
“Will you please move?" He asked looking straight through her.   
  
“Not until you talk to me." She managed to say as she stared up at him.   
  
She nearly gasped as he looked down at her, never moving away from her.   
  
“What do you want?" He asked with a distant tone.   
  
Buffy blinked wildly for a few seconds as she tried to get a hold of herself. ‘What the hell is happening to me?’ A voice asked in her head.   
  
“I-I’m sorry." She managed to stutter.   
  
He eyed her suspiciously from under a frown.   
  
“I realise that I can be a pain sometimes." She started.   
  
“Just sometimes?" He questioned sarcastically, raising his scared eyebrow.   
  
“Hey! I’m apologising here. Give me a break, ok?"   
  
The blond teen nodded and waited for her to continue.   
  
“And you just caught me in one of those… sometimes. So, I’m sorry for saying what I said, ok?"   
  
She waited for an answer but he simply stared down at her. The closeness between them was becoming unbearable and she held her breath as her heart raced. Finally, having had enough of the brain splitting tension she spoke up:   
  
“Ok. Could you just step back a little? My oxygen blood levels are becoming an issue here." She meant to sound haughty and sarcastic, but it came out in an awkward and faltering voice.   
  
Nodding slightly, he stepped back but remained silent.   
  
“So…" she started, trying hard to break the nerve-racking stillness between them, but failing miserably at it. Eventually, she gave up and let out a loud sigh before asking: “Are you giving me the silent treatment? Cause it’s really starting to freak me out."   
  
“You talk too much, pet." He said simply.   
  
“Hey!" She protested as they started to move down the corridor.   
  
Spike continued to search the shelves for a particular book.   
  
“What are you doing here, anyway?" She finally asked after a few moments.   
  
“You just can’t keep quiet, can you?"   
  
“I don’t like silence. It makes me uncomfortable."   
  
At that, Spike frowned.   
  
“What?" She asked defensively.   
  
“Nothing." He shook his head and continued his search.   
  
It wasn’t long before she spoke once again:   
  
“You never answered my question. What are you doing here?"   
  
“Reading." Spike stated the obvious, his eyes still wandering over the mountain of books displayed before them.   
  
“You read?"   
  
“Ever since I was six. Isn’t that just amazing?" He asked with sarcastic enthusiasm.   
  
Buffy forced a plastic smile on her face which instantly crumbled. They continued slowly making their way down the corridor, until he reached for a book and started skimming through it. She simply leaned on the bookcase and waited for him to find what he was looking for when they heard two whispering voices coming from the corridor next to theirs.   
  
“What do you mean you don’t believe it? Of course they’re together."   
  
“No, they’re not. I mean, one minute they hate each other and the next they’re walking down the halls holding hands, and sitting together at the cafeteria. Come on, it’s so fake. It’s like that episode in…"   
  
“It’s Jonathan and Andrew." Buffy mouthed at Spike, who had put down the book and was now listening in on the conversation.   
  
“No way. They are so together. They’re like Princess Leia and Han Solo. The incessant sparring and banter? All a façade to conceal the undeniable animal attraction that pulls them together." They heard Jonathan argue. “And now that they’ve realised it, they’re down major make-out lane."   
  
Buffy cringed at the statement, her facial muscles contorting in disgust.   
  
“A-ha!" Andrew noted triumphantly. “There was no make-out. Ever. And that is my point. If what they have is the classic Princess Leia and Han Solo storyline then we should have witnessed some major smooching by now. But all we got was pathetic holding hands and sitting together at lunch."   
  
“Maybe Buffy wants to take it slow. You know, maybe she’s still hurt because of Angel."   
  
“Buffy? Taking it slow? Ha!" Andrew laughed. “I bet you she is just doing it to make Angel jealous. That girl’s completely head over heels for the beefy quarterback. She’d do anything to have him back. It’s pathetic."   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened and raw anger flashed in them.   
  
“Why that little weasel!" She growled between clenched teeth.   
  
She balled up her fists and began to storm down the corridor, when Spike’s strong hand caught a grip on her arm.   
  
“Calm down." He hissed, pulling her closer. “Beating the crap out of those whelps is not going to solve anything."   
  
“They think I’m… I’m… easy!" She retorted.   
  
“Believe me when I say that you are *not* easy. There is nothing easy about you."   
  
Buffy stopped for a second trying to figure out if what he had said was a compliment or not.   
  
“I told you no one would believe it. I mean, we didn’t even fool the chess club back there." Spike titled his head towards the bookcase that separated them from the nerdy couple.   
  
Buffy let out a deep sigh, pulling her arm out of his grip and massaging it as she pondered.   
  
“What do you suggest we do?"   
  
Spike paused for a moment, even though he already knew the answer to her question, he just hadn’t figure out the best way to inform her of it.   
  
“We kiss. In front of the whole school." He finally managed to say.   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened.   
  
“I can’t kiss you. If I kiss you I’ll…. I’ll probably throw up!" She replied in disgust.   
  
“Thanks, luv." His words dripping with sarcasm.   
  
“But…" Her eyebrows came up her forehead in a painful frown and they remained in silence.   
  
“She’s not dating Spike. It’s all a scam to get Angel back." They heard Andrew insist on the other side of the bookcase. His voice was becoming clearer and it was obvious that he was rounding the corner to enter the same corridor she and Spike were in.   
  
Without a word, Buffy grabbed Spike by the lapels of his duster and slammed him against the shelves before crushing his mouth with hers.   
  
Spike gasped, suddenly out of breath. Her tiny hands traced erratic patterns on his chest as her lips viciously captured his, pulling and pushing in a demanding and urgent kiss. His brain went on complete overload at the feel of her small body pressing against his, her legs entwining with his as she now nibbled on his lower lip.   
  
A high-toned squeak announced Jonathan and Andrew’s presence and Buffy pulled away to look at the dumbstruck duo. She ran the back of her hand over her moistened lips as she looked the two boys up and down. She smiled inwardly as she realised she had achieved her goal. She grabbed Spike’s hand and dragged the stunned teen out of there.   
  
The moment she exited the library she jumped up and let out a satisfied yelp.   
  
“Did you see their faces? Oh, God it was hilarious! Did you see it? Did you see it? Spike? Are you ok?" Buffy came down from her euphoria as she noticed the dazed Brit simply gawking. “Spike?"   
  
“Huh? What? Oh! Yeah, yeah I saw it." He managed to say as he shifted uncomfortably.   
  
“It was just so cool!" Buffy returned to her celebration. “That’ll show them."   
  
She smiled wildly, but it crumbled as soon as the bell rang.   
  
“Oh! Damn it! I’m late! See you later." She yelled as she ran down the hall, leaving a bleached teen to gather himself.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy dragged her tired feet across the floor as she entered the house. Plopping on the couch she picked up the remote and turned on the TV. It wasn’t long before she had dozed off in front of the flickering screen. She jumped up as she felt a soft hand run over her cheek.   
  
“Mom!" She blinked wildly as she tried to figure out were she was. “I must have dozed off. What time is it?"   
  
“It’s eight thirty." Mrs. Summers informed her as she took her place next to her daughter. “How was your day?"   
  
“Uh… a mess. I’m just so tired." The blonde teen confessed as she leaned in to rest her head on her mother’s lap.   
  
“How is William?"   
  
“Who?" Buffy frowned at the name.   
  
“William, that nice young man who was here the other day."   
  
“Oh, you mean Spike! He’s ok."   
  
“Good. I hope he hasn’t been having too much trouble in school." Mrs. Summers wished, running her hands through her daughter’s thick hair.   
  
“Why would you think that?"   
  
“You know… Kids your age can be really hard on… different people." The older woman stuttered.   
  
“Yeah we can. But he’s not having any problems because of it." The teen explained.   
  
“Good."   
  
A moment of silence filtered between mother and daughter as they watched the screen still turned on in front of them.   
  
“He only has problems with Angel." Buffy spoke out of nowhere.   
  
“Angel? You mean your boyfriend?" Mrs. Summers enquired.   
  
“Ex-boyfriend mom. Emphasis on the ex part." The blonde girl noted. “Yep. I never really understood why, but they never got along. They used to hang out together when Spike first moved to Sunnydale. But then, all of a sudden they started hating each other. Go figure." Buffy shrugged as she finished speaking.   
  
“Hum… Strange." Mrs. Summers mumbled as her mind drifted over the various possible explanations for the occurrence.   
  
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a sharp ringing sound.   
  
“Hello?" Buffy greeted as she picked up the phone. “Wills! Hey!" Pause. “Next Friday? Sure! Ok then. It’s a date. Bye. Goodnight Wills." Putting down the receiver she turned to face her mom. “That was Willow. She was inviting me to go out to the Bronze next Friday. Is it ok?"   
  
“You’ve been going out too often young lady." Mrs. Summers noted.   
  
“Oh, mom… Please!" Buffy begged.   
  
“Ok, fine. But be home by midnight."   
  
“Thanks mom, you’re the best."   
  
Giving her mother a quick peck on the cheek she prepared to go upstairs when she heard Mrs. Summers call her name.   
  
“I’ll be going out tonight. You’re dinner is in the microwave."   
  
For the first time since she’d woken up she realise her mother was dressed up and… wearing make up?   
  
“Mom! You’re going on a date?" The teen asked surprised.   
  
“Yes, I am." Mrs Summers answered simply, as she moved to put on her coat.   
  
“With who?"   
  
“With whom." She corrected as a honk was heard. “That should be him. Goodnight, honey. And don’t stay up late."   
  
“Mom?" Buffy was left speaking to herself as she watched her mother waltz out of the house.   
  
~+~   
  
“Come on, pick up!" Buffy repeated over and over again into the receiver. “Damn it, Willow!" she cursed slamming the phone down.   
  
She paced nervously around the living room. Her arms folded over her chest as she tapped her nails on her sweater.   
  
“My mom. On a date?" Her mind was swirling. She knew it would eventually happen, and she always thought she would be ok with it, but apparently, she was wrong. Her stomach turned at the though of her mother and some stranger going out together, holding hands, kissing… Erg! “Not going there. That’s just… scary!"   
  
She continued to walkabout the room. Occasionally picking up the phone and dialling either Willow’s or Xander’s number, but every time she had no answer.   
  
“Where is everybody? It’s a school night for Christ sake." She talked to herself as she looked at the living room clock. “It’s nine pm; they should be at home by now." She protested to the walls when the phone rang. “Finally!" she breathed in relief as she picked up the receiver. “Where have you been? I have been calling you for hours. You won’t believe what happened!" she said in one breath.   
  
Her face turned bright red when she heard from the other side of the line:   
  
“Hey, pet. Didn’t know you wanted me that bad. That kiss in the library left you craving, huh?"   
  
She felt her stomach flip-flop in disgust and the anger start to boil up in her veins.   
  
“Spike!" She hissed between clenched teeth.   
  
“The one and only, luv."   
  
She could actually hear him smirking. Grrrr.   
  
“What do want?" She growled.   
  
“I think the question is what do you want. You were the one telling me you were calling me for hours." He answered cockily.   
  
“I thought you were someone else." She answered dryly.   
  
“Who?" The question was out of his lips before he could suppress it.   
  
“No one." She barked.   
  
“Come one now, luv. I thought you were supposed to tell me everything." He replied smugly.   
  
“Since when do I have to tell you anything?"   
  
“Since you became my girl." He answered directly.   
  
“I’m *not* you’re girl, Spike." She growled once more. He was really starting to get on her nerves.   
  
“Of course you are."   
  
“What do you want?" She asked again.   
  
“Just wanted to know how my goldilocks was doing." He continued with a slurred tone.   
  
“I’m fine!" She said slamming the receiver.   
  
Seconds later the phone was ringing again.   
  
“Hello?" She answered.   
  
“Not nice to slam the phone in someone’s face, luv. Especially not your boyfriend." He started.   
  
“You are *not* my boyfriend, Spike." She practically yelled into the receiver.   
  
“No need to shout love."   
  
Buffy sighed audibly. The sound of his voice the next second caught her off guard. Gone was the cocky, slurred voice to be replaced by a serious and almost concerned tone.   
  
“Are you ok, luv?"   
  
“I’m fine." She said exasperated.   
  
“You don’t sound fine."   
  
“Spike. Just leave me alone. I’m not in the mood for another one of our sparring contests. You win ok?" She was almost begging him.   
  
There was a moment of silence before he said:   
  
“I’ll be there in a two minutes."   
  
“What? Spike? No!" Before she could say anything else she got the dead signal from the other side of the line. “Oh, God no…"   
  
  
  
Chapter 12   
  
She groaned when she heard the doorbell ring. She forced herself up and dragged her feet across the hall to answer it. Rolling her eyes and in a tired, annoyed tone she asked when she saw the bleached teen standing at her doorstep:   
  
“What are you doing here?"   
  
“Can I come in?" He was already stepping across the threshold before she had a chance to answer him.   
  
“Be my guest." She replied sarcastically.   
  
“Are you ok?" He questioned turning to face her.   
  
“As you can see, I’m fine, so if you would just leave..." She said opening the front door, but he didn’t even seem to hear her, entering the living room instead. “Or make yourself at home. Whatever." She sighed audibly.   
  
“Cookies and cream?" He said picking up the half empty cup of ice-cream. “That bad huh?"   
  
“I like cookies and cream." She replied gruffly, grabbing the box from the teen’s hands.   
  
“I bet." Without asking, he plopped down on the couch and started to flip through the channels.   
  
“You’re just here for the cable, aren’t you?" She questioned.   
  
But he wasn’t listening as he intently watched the flickering images on the screen. She sighed loudly and flopped down next to him. After a few seconds she grumbled:   
  
“That’s a stupid game."   
  
“Stupid? How can you say that? It’s football." He protested, clearly offended.   
  
“That’s not football, it’s soccer." She corrected.   
  
“Excuse me. This… magnificent game happens to be played using one’s foot while the ridiculous thing you yanks call football is played with everything *but* one’s foot." He countered.   
  
“We use our feet!" it was her turn to complain.   
  
“Right." He piped up sarcastically.   
  
“American football is way cooler than this crap." She grumbled.   
  
“This crap, as you put it, is the number one sport in every country in the world. This crap is the *real* king of sports." He continued to argue. “American football, on the other hand, is just a cheap rip off of rugby. Just a bunch of sissy, padded up poofs running around the field trying to get a weird shaped ball through a giant… fork thingy while banging each other’s heads together. And you call that a manly sport, ha!"   
  
Buffy frowned and looked up at him.   
  
“For your information, football is more than trying to get the funny shaped ball through the… giant fork thingy." She tried to sound convincing, but failed miserably at it. It was clear that she knew nothing about the sport in question.   
  
Spike chuckled.   
  
“What?!"   
  
“You know less about this sport than I do." He burst out laughing.   
  
Buffy frowned for a second. He was laughing? Spike does something besides smirking and grinning? Snapping out of her thoughts she continued:   
  
“Well, I was never good at any sport so I just never got into it." She tried to excuse herself. “But I’m sure that our football is better than your English crap."   
  
He didn’t say anything, simply cocked up a scared eyebrow.   
  
“Oh, alright. So I don’t know anything about sports. Angel tried to explain football to me, but I just didn’t get it." She confessed.   
  
“Well, I don’t know what I can do about American football, but I think we can remedy your knowledge on soccer if you want to." He offered.   
  
At that, Buffy simply shrugged. Soon, and after some long and confusing explanations, the duo laid back and watched the match.   
  
“Hey! That referee is cheating. He didn’t do anything." Buffy shouted at the screen.   
  
“He’s right, luv. Remember about the offside rule?" Spike asked.   
  
“Oh… right." She pretended to understand.   
  
“You don’t remember, do you?" He chuckled.   
  
“No." She confessed in a low voice.   
  
“It’s when the ball is passed to a player who is closer his opponents goal line than any other member of the defending team, except for the goal keeper, of course."   
  
“Oh, yeah. Now I remember."   
  
They continued to silently watch the game until it was over.   
  
“So… What do you think about football now?" Spike asked, sprawling on the couch.   
  
“It’s ok." Buffy admitted.   
  
“There is another game on in half an hour. Wanna watch?" The Brit questioned.   
  
“Is Manchester United playing?"   
  
“Nope."   
  
“No, thanks then."   
  
“So you became a fan of good old Man U, huh?" Spike said with a smirk.   
  
“Not really. More like a fan of David Beckam’s legs." Buffy answered with a huge smile.   
  
“Should’ve figure that much. You chits always seem to go for him." Spike sighed spreading his arms over the edge of the couch.   
  
“Well, you should be going…" She said after an awkward moment of silence.   
  
“What’s the hurry, luv?"   
  
“The fact that my mom should be coming home any minute and even though she thinks you’re gay, she won’t be-“   
  
“You’re mom thinks I’m GAY?!" Spike jumped off the couch and looked at her wide eyed.   
  
“Well… Yes." Buffy hesitated a bit.   
  
“Why?!" He continued to ask outraged.   
  
Buffy’s mouth moved, opening and closing, but her voice seemed to refuse to leave her throat.   
  
“Well?" A flaming red Brit stared down at her, waiting for an explanation.   
  
“She might have gotten the wrong idea when I told her I was *definitely* not your type." She finally managed to say.   
  
“You told you’re mom I was gay?" He started to walk around in circles.   
  
“I didn’t tell her you were gay! She just… thought you were… you know…"   
  
“Know what?" He stopped his circling to stare at her.   
  
“Well, you know. The bleached hair…" she waved her hand in the direction of his head. “…and the black nail polish, kinda give out a… certain look." She stuttered.   
  
“Yeah! A bad ass look, not a GAY look!" He shouted.   
  
“It’s not *my* fault that my mother thinks you’re gay!" she suddenly counterattacked, standing up to defend herself.   
  
“You told her something!" he insisted.   
  
“Or maybe your fashion statement is just screaming: ‘repressed drag queen in the making’." She snapped, raising her head up high and jutting out her chin in the process.   
  
Spike’s eyes widened, his faced quickly gaining an unhealthy scarlet shade.   
  
“I am NOT gay." Was the only thing that he could think of to say.   
  
“You shouldn’t lie to yourself." She started with a mocking tone. “Deep down inside you, you have the real you just screaming to be let out. You will feel better if you embrace your true nature." At this point Buffy had to pinch herself to stop from bursting out laughing. The panicked look in his eyes was just priceless.   
  
“I’ll show you my true nature." He growled as he began to chase after her.   
  
They went around the couch a couple of times before switching to the table, jumping over a few chairs and vases. Buffy was chased up the stairs, in and out of her mother’s bedroom, to finally end up in her own room on one side of the bed while her attacker was on the other.   
  
“You-“ She panted wildly, with a huge grin on her flushed face. “…should be-“ Gasp “true to yourself." She managed to say breathless.   
  
She quickly leaped onto the bed as she saw Spike coming towards her. His arms waved around trying to catch her, but she jumped to the floor, landing on the spot where he had been just moments before. She smiled as she saw him in hers, on the opposite side of the bed.   
  
“Those cigarettes are taking their toll on you, huh?" She asked as he started to couch.   
  
“When" cough “I get my" couch “hands on you, Summers." He threatened.   
  
Her response was simply to stick out her tongue at him. She restarted running as he suddenly jumped at her across the bed. After a few moments, they were back in the same position on opposite sides of the mattress. Spike stood on the window side having, what looked like, a serious coughing fit.   
  
Buffy panted violently as she watched the Brit turn frightening shades of purple.   
  
“Are you ok?" she managed to ask as she pondered closing the distance between them to help him.   
  
He continued to cough, clinging to his throat as he did so and she decided it was best to move closer. The moment she was in arms reach, he grabbed her.   
  
“You cheating-“ She let out a loud yelp as she felt his grip around her arms. She struggled like a wild cat causing them to lose their balance and end up tumbling onto the bed. “Cheating, bleached bastard." She said between pants as she let out a small giggle.   
  
“All’s fair in love and war, luv." He replied, miraculously recovered from his coughing attack.   
  
They remained laying in bed, Spike on top, Buffy beneath him, staring at each other, both panting from the recent exertion. He smiled down at her while she pouted, having been caught.   
  
“That’s cheating!" She repeated, still breathless.   
  
A rebellious blonde strand found its way to cover her face and mouth and she wiggled a little trying to move it. Instinctively, Spike raised his hand and pulled it out of the way while making sure that her arms remained trapped under the burden of his chest.   
  
Out of nowhere, realisation came to them and their closeness became uncomfortably evident. Buffy swallowed hard as she looked up at the boy laying on top of her, whose gaze alternated between her eyes and her pouty lips. Suddenly, breathing became an issue. Her breaths now came in short, difficult pants, not because of the exertion but as a direct consequence of his proximity. Her heart seemed to want to leap out of her chest and her stomach was making those strange flip-flopping motions it usually did when…   
  
In a flash, she was up, pushing him away and causing him to fall flat on his ass in the process. Nervously, she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her flushed face. Once all the strands seemed to be in place, her hands moved toward her clothes to give them the same erratic treatment.   
  
“You- You better go. It’s late and my-“ She started with an unease tone when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. “My mom!" She whispered as she immediately went for the door and slammed it shut. “You gotta hide!" She warned him as she frantically looked around to find a place to keep him out of sight. In the meantime, the footsteps became clearer. “The bed! Get under the bed! Now!" she ordered.   
  
She didn’t have to tell him twice. A fraction of a second before the clicking sound of a door being opened was heard he was under the bed and out of sight.   
  
“Hey, honey! You’re still up?" Mrs. Summers asked as she entered the room.   
  
“Yeah!" Buffy answered as she tried to get her breathing under control. “I-I was just getting ready for bed." She explained nodding as she pressed her lips together.   
  
At that her mother frowned.   
  
“Are you ok, honey?" A hint of concern was evident in Mrs. Summers voice.   
  
“I’m fine!" Buffy replied a little too enthusiastically. “I’m fine!" she repeated with more calm.   
  
The teen held her breath, carefully watching the changes in her mother’s facial expressions as she walked around the room. Finally, a soft, understanding smile settled on the older woman’s mouth.   
  
“I know why you’re acting like this."   
  
“You do?" Buffy asked incredulous as she dared to throw a glance in the bed’s direction to check if Spike was still out of sight.   
  
“Yes." Mrs. Summers started as she sat down on the bed and patted the mattress next to her for Buffy to take a seat. When the petite blonde did, she continued: “You’re upset about me going out on a date."   
  
The teen let out a sigh of relief.   
  
“I know it feels weird now, but you knew it would happen sooner or later. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it and just kind of announced it without any previous warning, but I was worried about how you’d react and I just didn’t know how to tell you. I tried to talk to you over the weekend but… I couldn’t." Mrs. Summers confessed.   
  
“Oh, that explains the mother/daughter bonding overload." Buffy realised.   
  
Mrs. Summers smiled and nodded.   
  
“I hope that you can understand that I’m a single woman now. I’ve been alone ever since your dad and I got divorced and I think it’s time to move on now."   
  
“Don’t worry mom. I’m ok with it." Buffy said after a moment of silence.   
  
Under the bed, Spike held his breath and tried as hard as he could not to make any noise. He watched as a pair of legs moved away from the bed towards the door. They stopped for a second and he heard Mrs. Summers’ voice:   
  
“Goodnight, Buffy!"   
  
“Goodnight, mom!"   
  
The door was then opened and she was gone.   
  
The teen jumped up as, out of nowhere, Buffy’s head popped under the mattress.   
  
“You gotta get out of here." She stated as he crawled his way from under the bed.   
  
“No kidding, Einstein." He grumbled as he patted his duster.   
  
Buffy moved towards the window and opened it.   
  
“Go!" she ordered.   
  
“You want me to jump out the window?!" Spike asked incredulous.   
  
“Use the tree, genius." Buffy replied with an annoyed tone.   
  
“In case you haven’t noticed, the branches have been cut. And unless I’ve miraculously acquired some major Carl Lewis skills, I’ll never make that jump." Spike countered sarcastically.   
  
Buffy popped her head out the window and noticed that, in fact, the branches had been cut. ‘Damn winter trimming.’ she thought.   
  
“Well, you can’t go through the stairs. My mom will hear you." She noted as she started pacing around the room.   
  
After a few moments of silence she plopped down on the bed exasperated.   
  
“We’ll just wait for you’re mom to fall asleep." Spike suggested.   
  
“You don’t know my mother." Buffy forced a smile on her lips. “Ever since my rebellious pre-teen, middle of the night escapades she has become a true watch dog. She hears *everything*. And I mean everything. One noise from me and she’s at my door." She sighed as she let her tired body drop from the sitting position to a sprawled out one on top of the mattress.   
  
“I guess I’ll just have to spend the night here." He said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.   
  
“You wish!" She spat.   
  
“I don’t actually. With my luck, you probably snore."   
  
“I do *not* snore!" She replied outraged sitting up on the bed and furrowing her eyebrows.   
  
He simply smirked and leaned on the window as he shoved his left hand into the pocket of his duster and fished out a pack of cigarettes.   
  
“What-“ realising she was speaking a little too loudly she rephrased in a hissing voice: “What are you doing?"   
  
“Having a smoke?" He stated the obvious with the cigarette dangling from his lips as he prepared to light it.   
  
Instantly, Buffy was up and stomping her way over to him, but before she could take the small cylinder from his mouth he grabbed it.   
  
“Oh, no you’re not!" she protested as she jutted out her chin in defiance, looking up at him.   
  
“Oh, come on. I have been smoke-free for two hours now. I need a fag!" he pleaded as he brought his eyebrows together for a painful frown.   
  
“No!" she insisted.   
  
“But-“   
  
“You will not smoke that crap in *my* room, and that’s final." She was unrelenting.   
  
“Just one, please. I won’t be able to sleep otherwise."   
  
“That’s your problem." She snapped, turning around and making her way to her bed.   
  
“Bitch." He murmured.   
  
“I heard that." She said as she pulled the sheets.   
  
Turning around she eyed him.   
  
“What?" He asked with a furrowed eyebrow.   
  
“Do you mind?" She questioned drawing circles in the air with her index finger signalling him to turn around.   
  
Sighing audibly, the Brit faced the window as he waited for her to get unto her pyjamas. He heard a series of sounds, shuffling and shambling until Buffy’s whisper reached his ears:   
  
“I’m done."   
  
He turned to catch a glimpse of Buffy’s Yummy Sushi pyjamas as she tucked herself under the sheets and turned off the lights.   
  
Frustrated, he shoved the cigarette into the pack and placed it on her table as he took off his duster. Buffy remained in her bed, eyes partially closed as she pretended to sleep. She watched as he unbuttoned his shirt, murmuring a string of curses under his breath. He sat on the nearby chair and started to unlace his boots. The socks were off and he was up again, his fingers finding their way under the cotton fabric of his white t-shirt and pulling it over his shoulders. Buffy held her breath as she observed the semi-naked boy under the dim moonlight. She gazed, as if entranced, committing to memory every lean curve and arch of his chest and abdomen. She drew hard breaths into her lungs as he walked in circles for a few seconds, his hand running trough his now dishevelled blond hair, down his shoulder for a quick hug and then settled over his belt and started undoing it. When he continued to unbutton his trousers, Buffy jumped up.   
  
“Wha-What do you think you’re doing?!" She asked in a faltering tone.   
  
“Getting ready for bed?" He once more stated the obvious, raising his eyebrows in confusion.   
  
“You’re not gonna get naked in my room!" She protested but, somehow, her resolve didn’t seem very convincing.   
  
“I always sleep naked." Seeing the straight line of her mouth he shrugged. “Fine, it’s your bed."   
  
Buffy didn’t even have time to process what he had just said as he made his way to her and started to pull on the covers.   
  
“WHAT do you think you’re doing?" She repeated loudly as she grabbed as much of the sheets as she could and covered herself.   
  
“Once again – getting ready for bed." He answered her as he reached for the covered once more.   
  
Quickly, she moved back, dragging the fabric with her.   
  
“Not in *my* bed!" She replied wide eyed.   
  
“I’m supposed to sleep on the floor?"   
  
“Of course!"   
  
“Bloody hell!" He protested. “I’m not-“   
  
A clicking sound was heard followed by footsteps.   
  
“My mom! Quick! Under the bed!" She ordered.   
  
Instantly, Spike dropped and started to crawl under when she hissed:   
  
“Your clothes! Spike!"   
  
He was up and gathering all his things including his boots which he managed to shove under the bed, but by the time he tried to crawl under it himself, the doorknob to the room was being turned. Without a second thought, he threw himself onto the bed. He glued his body against the petite blonde’s in the desperate hope that her mother wouldn’t notice the extra volume under the fluffy covers. Buffy gasped and immediately held her breath she watched the door open and her mom’s head pop in.   
  
  
  
Chapter 13   
  
“Buffy, are you ok?" Spike heard a worried voice ask.   
  
He held his breath, drawing himself nearer to Buffy’s now trembling form as the sound of footsteps let him know that Mrs. Summers was coming into the room.   
  
Buffy froze, her stomach seemed intent on doing those distracting flip-flops as she felt his body cling to her form.   
  
“I-I’m fine!" she managed to say in a nervous stutter.   
  
“I heard a noise. What happened?" Mrs. Summers enquired taking a seat on the mattress next to her daughter.   
  
The teen swallowed hard, her mind a haze as her heart raced in her chest and her hands became sweaty.   
  
“N-Nothing happened. Must have been from outside." She answered tilting her head towards the window.   
  
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of red on her table. ‘Oh my God! The cigarettes!’ Her mind screamed at her as she watched her mom get up and walk over to the opened window.   
  
“Mom!" She instinctively shouted.   
  
Mrs. Summers stopped in her tracks and turned to face her child.   
  
“What, honey?"   
  
“Leave the window open, I’m kinda hot." She made up the excuse in a moments notice.   
  
In the meantime, Spike remained frozen under the covers. His bare chest glued to Buffy’s right thigh, his legs twisted around the rest of her leg, positioning her foot in a very, very awkward place. His arms wound around her waist while his head rested on her partially bare stomach.   
  
“You’re not coming down with something, are you?" A concerned Mrs. Summers asked walking back over to the bed and placing her hand on Buffy’s forehead. “You do feel kind of warm…"   
  
“I’m fine!" She piped up nervously. “I-I’m fine." She repeated with a little less anxiety.   
  
“Are you sure?"   
  
Buffy felt Spike move under the covers, his hand brushing over the inside of her thigh as he tried to make himself a little more comfortable. It took all of her strength to keep from gasping, her facial muscles contorting as she tried to repress the urge. Her mind seemed to drift for a second. All she could think about was that she had a semi naked boy in her bed, clinging to her right leg under the covers.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
Her mother’s voice finally seemed to penetrate the thick fog surrounding her brain.   
  
“Ah! What?!" She mumbled as she was snapped out of her daze.   
  
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get you anything?" Mrs. Summers repeated.   
  
“I’m sure, mom. I’m fine." The last word came out in a high-pitch tone as she felt his warm breath on her stomach.   
  
She closed her eyes to prevent her mom from seeing her rolling them back in their sockets.   
  
Under the covers, Spike tried to push back the little voice in his head that beckoned him to touch her or maybe just to brush his lips over the exposed flesh of her lean stomach, just once… ‘Concentrate, concentrate…’ He kept repeating in his thoughts not realising he was starting to pant.   
  
Buffy thanked whatever gods there were out there that her mother had her back turned to her when Spike’s breath became more evident on her tummy. She tried to repress the urge to move abruptly, but eventually ended up wiggling her toes in the process.   
  
Spike’s eyes widened as he felt something quickly brush over his groin and couldn’t help letting out a deep groan.   
  
Buffy froze when she felt something hard against her toes.   
  
“What was that, honey?" Mrs. Summers stopped at the door and turned to face her daughter.   
  
“Um… I-I said: Goodnight, mom!" Buffy lied.   
  
With a soft smile, Mrs. Summers turned the knob, opening the door. Before she exited the room, she whispered:   
  
“Goodnight, honey."   
  
And she was gone.   
  
Buffy and Spike remained frozen in place until they heard the clicking sound of another door opening and closing. Complete silence filled the room only broken by the quick and short pants coming from the petite blonde.   
  
She held her breath as she felt him crawl his way from under the covers, his arm lightly gliding across hers.   
  
“That was close." He breathed sitting next to her, on the bed, his legs still under the sheets.   
  
She stared wide eyed at him, sometimes daring to throw a glance at his bare chest.   
  
“Are you ok, luv?" He finally asked.   
  
Then, something unexpected happened. Actually, considering it was Buffy, it wasn’t unexpected at all. She brusquely pulled at the sheets, shoving him off the bed with her shoulder, causing him to topple off the mattress onto the floor.   
  
“Hey!" He protested.   
  
“Stay out of my bed!" She hissed in a low voice, careful not to wake her mother once again.   
  
The Brit remained on the floor, staring wide eyed at the petite blonde who looked back at him with a defiant chin jutting out.   
  
Anger flashed in his eyes as he got up and grabbed the edge of the covers and pulled them off her, then proceeded by snagging one of Buffy’s pillows.   
  
“I get the covers." He said laying down on the floor next to her bed and pulling the sheets over himself while he rested his head on the pillow.   
  
Without a word she got up and snatched the covers from him, setting them on the bed.   
  
“Those are mine, I’ll get you something else." She explained as she turned on the light and opened her wardrobe.   
  
She looked through it for a few second and grabbed something. Walking back to him, she dropped them on his lap.   
  
“There." She grumbled, climbing onto the bed and covering herself.   
  
“Are you kidding me? Scooby-Doo sheets?" The Brit protested in a low voice.   
  
“It’s all I’ve got. My mom keeps the covers in a cupboard in the hall." She explained as she closed her eyes and turned her back to him.   
  
Reluctantly, he picked up the sheets. He gasped when he spread them out. They were miniscule, reaching as high as his waist. If he wanted to cover his shoulders he would have to keep his feet in the cold or the other way around.   
  
“Bloody hell! This thing’s baby sized." He complained.   
  
“What did you expect? Those were my sheets when I was a kid." She grumbled never bothering to face him.   
  
“Bugger all!" He grumbled as he covered his legs with the small fabric.   
  
A few moments of silence managed to filter between them before Spike’s whispering voice was heard:   
  
“Are you still up, Betty?"   
  
“It’s BUFFY!" She hissed between clenched teeth.   
  
“Sorry." He said with little conviction.   
  
Silence.   
  
“Buffy…" He called again.   
  
“What?" She grumbled.   
  
“What do we do about tomorrow?" He enquired as he stared up at the ceiling, his hands resting on the back of his neck as he laid on his back.   
  
“What about tomorrow?" She replied with an annoyed tone.   
  
“You’re mom, if she walks in… won’t be a pretty sight."   
  
“I’ve set the alarm. We wake up before she does, wait till she’s out of the house and then we can leave and end this nightmare. By the way, you are never setting foot in my house ever again." She grumbled, her back still turned to him.   
  
Minutes later…   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“Spike?" She mumbled.   
  
“Yeah?"   
  
“Go to sleep."   
  
“I can’t. All I can think about is having a fag." He lied.   
  
“Think about something else, cause you’re *not* smoking in my room."   
  
Silence…   
  
“Luv?"   
  
“What!?" She exhaled sharply, turning around to face him. “What do you want this time?" She moved to the edge of her bed and looked down on him. She couldn’t help biting her lower lip at the sight of his bare chest bathed in moonlight.   
  
“What about school?" He enquired looking up at her.   
  
“What about school?" She sighed trying to sound as exasperated as possible.   
  
“You know…"   
  
“It’s one in the morning, Spike. Trust me, I don’t know." She grumbled as she glanced at her alarm clock.   
  
“The library… what we agreed on?" He managed to say without giving away his unease.   
  
Buffy felt her whole body tense up at the recollection. She ignored it and replied:   
  
“We already did it, so… no need to talk about it anymore."   
  
She quickly lay back on the bed, facing the ceiling.   
  
“Oh, come on. You know it’s not going to work. We might have convinced the nerdy kids, but not the rest of the school." He protested, turning on his side and propping up his head on his left hand.   
  
When he heard no answer he called her name.   
  
“I’m here." She mumbled. “I’m thinking."   
  
Minutes passed and Spike grew impatient.   
  
“Buffy? You done thinking?"   
  
“Fine! We’ll do it. Tomorrow. During lunch break. Now go to sleep."   
  
Buffy tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach and settled down to sleep. But slumber never came. She tossed and turned in bed, the strange sensation of anxiety strangling her, making it hard to breathe, to move, to think, to do anything at all. She moved to the edge of the mattress and glanced down at an apparently sound asleep Spike. She returned to her nervous flipping over under the covers until she heard him mumble in a low voice.   
  
“What’s the matter, luv?" He asked as he realized he wasn’t going to get any sleep if he didn’t make her stop moving around.   
  
“Nothing." She quickly lied.   
  
“Then why are you tossing and turning?"   
  
“I’m just… trying to get comfortable." She retorted.   
  
“You’ve been trying to get comfortable for an hour now."   
  
“I-… It’s just that… maybe it’s not such a good idea." She dared to say.   
  
“What is?"   
  
“The… plan… and kissing." She hesitated.   
  
“You chickening out?" He chuckled.   
  
“I *am* not!" She sat up on the bed to look down at him, pulling the sheets around her small form.   
  
“You’re chickening out." He teased.   
  
“I AM not!" She insisted.   
  
“What is it luv? Afraid if you kiss me you won’t be able to keep you hands off of my tight little body?" He continued his mockery.   
  
“Ha! As if!" The anger growing in her helped her get over the nervousness racing through her.   
  
“That’s it, isn’t it? You’re afraid you won’t be able resist me." He continued to tease.   
  
“Spike, I could kiss you anytime, anyplace, if only I could repress the intense urge to hurl I have every time you are within two feet of me." She snapped. But her harsh words lost most of their sting at the sight of her nervous pulling and pushing of the sheets.   
  
Spike smiled and sat up on the floor.   
  
“Prove it." He challenged her in a low voice.   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened as he crawled his way into the kneeling position and set his hands on the mattress on each side of her. She gazed at him, cocky grin over his lips, a defiant sparkle in his eyes.   
  
“Ha!" She managed to snap out of her daze. “Nice try! I’m not that easy." And she forced a plastic smile on her lips.   
  
“Believe me luv, I’m not trying to trick you into kissing me. I’m just afraid that tomorrow you’ll go all Al Gore on me, in front of the whole school." He retorted.   
  
Buffy widened her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, clearly offended.   
  
“Come on, pet. You gotta admit, every time I try to touch you or even go anywhere near you, you freeze up."   
  
“It’s because of the hurling factor. I told you." She pouted.   
  
“Get over it if you want to fool anyone." He snapped a bit offended.   
  
They looked at each other for a few moments, in silence, until Buffy broke it. With a loud sigh and patting the mattress, signalling him to sit.   
  
“Come here." She mumbled reluctantly.   
  
“What for?" He grumbled.   
  
“If I’m supposed to not freeze up, I better get used to having you near me." She stated the obvious.   
  
He stood up and plopped down on the bed with a loud, annoyed sigh. They sat once more in silence until Buffy spoke:   
  
“Well… are you just gonna stand there? Touch me." She ordered.   
  
“What?!" Spike choked.   
  
“I’m supposed to act natural when you touch me, so…"   
  
A mischievous grin spread over his lips as he eyed her suggestively.   
  
“Not *that* kind of touching!" She immediately stepped in.   
  
He pulled his mouth to one side in a wicked version of a smirk and then nodded. Slowly, his fingers ran over a strand of hair which fell over her face and neatly placed it behind her ear. They then proceeded with making their way down to her shoulder, over her collarbone to reach her neck and cup her cheek. He moved his whole body closer to hers, as his other hand traced circular pattered over her right arm, down to her hand. He felt her tense up when he snuck it around her waist and drew her closer to him.   
  
“See? This is what I’m talking about." He complained, dropping his arms to his sides and sighing audibly.   
  
“I’m sorry." She said with a pout. “It’s just…" She took a long deep breath, closed her eyes and continued: “Ok! I’m focusing. Try again."   
  
It took a few moments, but she soon felt him move around her and take his place behind her, spreading his legs on either side of her. His hand brushed over her golden locks, pulling them over her left shoulder, exposing her neck. Instinctively, Buffy tilted her head baring her right shoulder to him. She felt his arms encircle her, bringing her back closer to his chest, until she was leaning on him. His hands rested on her waist idly playing with the edges of her shirt. Buffy couldn’t help but smile as she remembered him doing that just the day before. But the smirk soon crumbled and she froze as she felt his lips lightly brush over her shoulder. He stopped as he felt her tense up, and waited for a few seconds. Silently, she gave him permission to continue and he returned his mouth to the tender flesh at the crook of her neck.   
  
At first it was soft and almost imperceptible, but it soon grew in intensity as he lightly suckled at her skin, his teeth nibbling as he made his way up to her earlobe. He took it into his mouth and his grip immediately tightened around her waist. Lost in the feeling, she relaxed and her own hands came into play as she caressed his bare arms. A low sigh escaped her parted lips as he continued his ministrations and she leaned against him for support. His lips left her ear to trace the edge of her jaw as she turned around to face him when suddenly he backed away.   
  
It took a second for her to perceive the loss of his touch, but eventually she did. She blinked wildly as she tried to focus her foggy eyes on him.   
  
“What?" She breathed.   
  
“I heard a noise."   
  
They sat in silence, waiting for another sound, but it never came. They exchanged a quick glance and all the awkwardness of the moment came flooding in. Buffy frantically ran her hands through her hair as she struggled to find something to say.   
  
“Well… I-I guess… we’re… done." She managed to stutter.   
  
“Yeah." Spike desperately tried to sound nonchalant and calm about the whole situation but all of a sudden what to do with his hands became an issue as he tried shoving them into the back pockets of his black jeans, awkwardly stumbling out of the bed.   
  
“Well… Goodnight then." She stammered as she watched him laying down on the floor.   
  
She pulled the covers over her shoulders, nuzzling against the pillow. She held her breath as she recognized a strange scent over her sheets and all around her – his scent. Once again, she struggled to find slumber, but this time she wasn’t alone. On the floor, lying spread-eagle, Spike stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandering in the clouds, unable to fall asleep.   
  
It was going to be a long night.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) The song in this chapter is Elisa’s Dancing and I’d really recommend you to download it and listen to it while you’re reading this chapter, especially the part where it’s mentioned. ;) Plus it’s a cool song! Chapter 14   
  
Buffy repressed a groan when she eyed the alarm clock and it read: ‘Four a.m. It’s 4 am and I’m still up.’ She thought. For the third time that night, she carefully rolled over to the edge of the bed to check on her uninvited guest. ‘Sound asleep. Bastard!’ She cursed in her mind. She cleared her voice loudly and glanced at the pale boy. He never moved.   
  
Spike kept his eyes closed, in the vague chance that sleep might come to him, but it didn’t. He was still wide awake, his mind plagued with indecent thoughts of the obnoxious blonde sleeping just a few feet from him. ‘Get yourself together, man. What the hell are you thinking? Sure, the chit’s not bad, but not worth losing a night’s sleep over.’ He mentally scolded himself as he felt his body start to react at the mere recollection of what had happened earlier that night. Sighing, he turned on his side, making sure to rest his back against the freezing wall. Maybe that would cool him off.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He jumped up into sitting position as he felt something metallic sting his lower back.   
  
Looking at the floor, he found a remote and picked it up. He didn’t have much time to inspect it as the lights were flipped on and an apparently sleepy Buffy moaned:   
  
“What was that?" She forced her voice to sound drowsy and hoarse.   
  
Spike blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the strong light that now filled the room. Before he could answer, Buffy snatched the remote from his hands and piped up, suddenly wide awake:   
  
“That’s where it was." She said as she placed the remote on her nightstand. “I was looking for that."   
  
Gradually, the sound of a piano filled the room. The two blondes turned to see the stereo – it was lit up.   
  
“Must have turned it on." Spike explained as slowly a soft female voice flowed in key with the instrument:   
  
Time is gonna take my mind and carry it far away where I can fly The depth of life   
  
will dim   
  
my temptation to live for you.   
  
  
  
The two blondes stared at each other for a glimpse of a second and then Buffy jumped and reach for the remote.   
  
“No!" Spike called out.   
  
She stopped and turned to face him. She found him with a serious look on his face   
  
If I were to be alone   
  
silence would rock my tears 'cause it's all about love   
  
and I know better How life is a waving feather   
  
  
  
“I wanna hear it." He said.   
  
Buffy cocked up a perfectly shaped eyebrow.   
  
“You? Wanna hear this?" She asked suspicious, pointing at the stereo with the remote in hands.   
  
“Why not?" He questioned innocently.   
  
“Mr.-Bad-Ass-Billy-Idol-wannabe wants to hear a sappy song?" She chuckled.   
  
“I can do sappy. There are many layers to me, luv." He explained.   
  
“Oh! Tons, heaps of layers!" She said sarcastically shaking her head.   
  
“And what’s that supposed to mean?"   
  
“Come on, Spike. You’re a guy! You only have layers when you wanna convince girls that you’re sensitive." She mocked while the song grew in intensity in the background   
  
So I put my arms around you   
  
Around you And I know that I'll be leaving soon   
  
  
  
Spike furrowed his eyebrows in a clear sign of hurt.   
  
“I’m just being honest." She said with a smile.   
  
“Ok, so maybe you are right." He finally admitted with a grin of his own.   
  
My eyes are on you, they're on you And you see that I can't stop shaking   
  
The two blondes froze, staring intensely at each other, as they realised that they were having a civil conversation without the usual banter or sparing. The music continued to play in the background and a chill ran down Buffy’s spine. She shook her head as the moment became too much and looked down at the sheets avoiding his piercing gaze. She regretted it the moment she did it as the lyrics wheeling around them described her actions.   
  
No, I won't step back but I'll look down to hide from your eyes 'cause what I feel is so sweet and I'm scared that even my own breath Oh could burst it if it were a bubble And I'd better dream if I have to struggle   
  
  
  
  
  
Awkwardly, Buffy sat up straight and started playing with the remote in her hands while the frail voice coming from the stereo soared haunting heights.   
  
  
  
So I put my arms around you around you And I hope that I will do no wrong My eyes are on you they're on you And I hope that you won't hurt me   
  
  
  
  
  
“So…" She started never daring to glance up at him. She froze when she realised he was standing up and coming to sit on the bed next to her. She remained still, holding her breath has he reached for a loose strand of her hair and slowly pushed it behind her ear.   
  
  
  
I'm dancing in the room as if I was in the woods with you No need for anything but music Music's the reason why I know time still exists Time still exists   
  
Time still exists Time still exists   
  
  
  
  
  
As he leaned in something inside of her snapped. She jumped up and was standing by the bed in a flash, her voice over enthusiastic and high-pitched:   
  
“Ok! I think we’ve practiced that enough for tonight!"   
  
The Brit teen stared at her under a furrowed brow until he understood what she meant.   
  
“Well, we-we better get some sleep, tomorrow being a school day and all. And-“ She spoke quickly and awkwardly as she searched for the remote, which had somehow slipped from her hands and was lost between her sheets. “Ha! Found it!" She said triumphantly, standing up straight and holding her prize.   
  
So I just put my arms around you around you And I hope that I will do no wrong My eyes are on you they're on you And I hope that you won't hurt me-   
  
Silence once again filled the room as she pushed the off button. Buffy set the remote on the nightstand and stood beside the bed looking at him with a plastic smile on her face. Clearly embarrassed, Spike stood up to take his place on the floor once again.   
  
“Well… Goodnight." She piped up as she snuck under the covers, but she had no answer.   
  
She felt something tug at her racing heart, but ignored it, closing her eyes and forcing herself to fall asleep.   
  
The hours passed and soon it was seven am and the alarm clock rang. Buffy’s hands reached up and pressed the off button. She yawned audibly, pretending to have slept the entire night, as she moved to the edge of the bed. There he was, laying on the floor, curled up into a little ball pulling at the blanket to cover himself as much as he could.   
  
“Spike…" She called softly, but had no answer. “Spike…" She whispered once again, this time reaching for him and lightly pushing him.   
  
“Hum…" She heard him mumble as he turned his back to her.   
  
“Spike… Wake up… My mom’s gonna be here any minute." She said climbing off the bed and sitting on the floor next to him.   
  
Her hands rested on his arm, pulling at him to turn him around as she spoke. Eventually, he did but he was still fast asleep. She watched as he nestled his face against her thighs. He looked so peaceful, so… non obnoxious.   
  
Instinctively, she ran her fingers over his sharp cheekbones leaving her thumb behind to caress the amazingly soft skin there. She caught her breath as he nuzzled against it, his lips curling slightly up for a lazy smile. She heard him mumble something in his daze and she leaned in to hear him whisper in a drooling tone:   
  
“Dru…"   
  
Her eyes grew wide as she felt her stomach twist in disgust. In a flash, she was up and shaking him gruffly:   
  
“Wake up!"   
  
“Hum… What?" The Brit blinked wildly as he tried to ascertain where he was. A deep furrow marred his eyebrows as his sight focused on the petite blonde violently walking around in circles. “Oh, God… It wasn’t a nightmare." He grumbled with a hoarse voice.   
  
“Get up, get under the bed and don’t get out of there until I tell you!" She said simply before she opened the door and walked out of the room, leaving a dumbstruck, sleepy teen behind.   
  
~+~   
  
The moment the front door closed and she was sure her mother was out of the household, Buffy raced up the stairs. She stopped abruptly when she reached her bedroom. Taking in two deep, long breaths, she turned the doorknob and entered the room.  
  
“Spike?" She asked when the bleached teen was nowhere in sight. “Spike?"   
  
She walked in and headed for the bed, bending down to check under it. Nothing.   
  
“Spik-“   
  
“Bah!" Two jabbing hands were on her waist as a loud voice filled the room.   
  
“AHH!" She screamed off the top of her lungs, twisting around suddenly, her right knee hitting its target right on the spot.   
  
It was Spike’s turn to howl – in throbbing pain. Buffy’s fingers automatically went for her mouth, her eyes widening as she watched the bleached teen laying on the floor wailing while his hands were buried between his legs.   
  
“I-I’m sorry." She stuttered, frozen in place, her eyebrows wrinkled in a painful frown.   
  
“Bloody hell, woman!" He yelled, still lying on the floor, his face the picture of agony.   
  
“I-I.." She stammered as she kneeled next to him.   
  
Immediately, he jumped back, fear coming over him.   
  
“Just stay away from them!" He ordered between howls.   
  
“Well… “ She said outraged as she stood up. “You-you shouldn’t have grabbed me like that."   
  
“It was a joke." He protested as he tried to get up to his feet but failed. “I think I’ll just stay down here for… a while." He said as he sat back down, leaning on her table.   
  
“Suit yourself. I’m going to take a shower." She replied as she stalked out of the room.   
  
~+~   
  
Spike waited patiently on the floor, still nursing his sore parts when he heard the door squeak. He turned to see Buffy’s drenched head pop in.   
  
“Turn around." She ordered.   
  
“What?! I can barely move here, luv, and you want me to turn around?" He asked, cocking up an eyebrow.   
  
“Well then… Close your eyes." She insisted.   
  
“It’s not like I haven’t seen a girl wrapped up in a towel before, you know?" He said sarcastically, annoying smirk on.   
  
“Do you wanna get kicked again?" She questioned innocently as she put on her sweetest, fake smile.   
  
A hint of fear flashed in the teen’s eyes before he closed them. He heard sloppy footsteps entering the room and a faint scent of vanilla hit him. Instinctively, he inhaled a little deeper and the aroma surrounded him. He was about to attempt to open his eyes when he heard:   
  
“You open your eyes and I swear you will leave this room with a vocal tone higher then ten Michael Jackson’s put together." She threatened.   
  
Swallowing hard, he kept his eyelids closed shut, patiently waiting for her signal. He listened carefully to the shuffling; the sound of the wardrobe door opening and closing a few times and then there was silence.   
  
“Buffy?" He asked as a frown settled on his eyebrows.   
  
“Keep your eyes closed." She commanded.   
  
“They’re closed!" He replied shrugging.   
  
He heard more shuffling and then felt heavy covers being dropped on him.   
  
“Hey!" He protested.   
  
“Don’t peep!"   
  
The minutes crawled by and nothing.   
  
“Are you ready?" He finally asked.   
  
“No."   
  
“You haven’t even picked out your clothes, have you?" He questioned, a hint of exasperation in his voice. There was a pause. “Buffy?"   
  
“No, I haven’t." She finally said in one breath and the teen under the covers groaned.   
  
“Will you hurry up, woman?"   
  
“Stop calling me that!" She snapped.   
  
“What? Woman?"   
  
“Yes! I have a name, it’s Buffy!"   
  
“Whatever, pet."   
  
“Grrrr…" He heard her growl.   
  
Another ten minutes passed and Spike restarted the conversation.   
  
“So… What was that whole thing with your mom?"   
  
Silence.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
“I don’t wanna talk about it." She growled.   
  
“Her first date after your da?" Having no answer he continued. “It’s ok to feel kinda weird about it."   
  
A furious stomp broke the silence.   
  
“It was kinda strange for me too when my da first started going out."   
  
The stillness returned and Spike was about to continue when Buffy mumbled:   
  
“You’re parents are divorced?"   
  
“My mom died when I was a kid."   
  
“Oh…"   
  
An uncomfortable silence returned but was soon broken by the Brit still hidden under the covers.   
  
“It’s normal, you know? For your mom to want to go on with her life."   
  
“I know." Buffy admitted reluctantly.   
  
“You’ll get used to the idea. Who knows, you might even like the guy."   
  
“Never!" Was the petite blonde’s immediate response.   
  
Spike couldn’t help but chuckle.   
  
“It’s not funny!" She protested with a pout.   
  
“You’ll-“ cough “You’ll-“ cough “Can I come out from under this thing? Breathing is becoming a problem."   
  
His answer came when the covers were swiftly lifted off him. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light, after a few seconds his sight focused on the short blonde girl standing in front of him. She wore low cut jeans and a light-blue turtleneck sweater.   
  
“All that time for that?" He frowned as he got up.   
  
“What’s wrong with this?" She protested as she opened the wardrobe door and looked at herself in the mirror.   
  
“Nothing. It’s fine!" He immediately jumped in between her and the mirror. “Let’s go!" He continued as he dragged her out of the room by her arm.   
  
The first thing the bleached Brit did when he stepped out of the house was light up a cigarette, which immediately earned him a look from the short blonde who walked next to him.   
  
“Don’t look at me like that." He warned her as the smoke flowed out of his mouth.   
  
“That’s disgusting." She retorted, making a face. “I’m not kissing you today."   
  
“A-ha! I knew you’d chicken out! Gotta say– good excuse, luv."   
  
“It’s not an excuse, I just don’t want to have a bad taste in my mouth." She explained as she looked down at her feet.   
  
“How do you know it tastes bad?" He asked her with a smirk, his eyes on her.   
  
“It smells bad, it tastes bad. That’s my motto." She replied pushing her lips together. The weight of his stare starting to get to her.   
  
“You’ll never know till you actually taste it." He said as he suggestively ran his tongue over his lips.   
  
“I already did, remember!" Her face contorted for a disgusted look.   
  
“Tell you what, I’ll buy a pack of breath mints before lunch. Happy?" He suggested as they continued to walk down the street.   
  
“How about we just postpone the kissing scene for tomorrow and you don’t smoke till then?" She looked up at him with hope in her eyes.   
  
“Nice try, pet. It’s today or never."   
  
“Hum… Never?" She quickly opted giving him a plastic smile.   
  
“Come on, luv. We’ve talk about-“   
  
“Ok, ok. No need to bring on the whining skills, I know you’ve got them." She grumbled.   
  
“That’s my girl."   
  
“I’m not your girl, William."   
  
“Don’t call me William." Seriousness dawned in his voice.   
  
“Don’t call me pet or luv or woman."   
  
“Deal." He agreed.   
  
They continued to walk in silence for a couple more minutes till Buffy sighed and grumbled:   
  
“Why didn’t you bring your bike?"   
  
“It’s in the shop." He answered.   
  
“I hate walking." She continued to protest as the high school finally came into view.   
  
“Gotta say I agree with you on that one, pet."   
  
“Thanks… William." She said with a fake smile as he looked at her from under a frown.   
  
They walked up the steps to the main door of the teen-filled building and entered the halls. They reached class 209 and the two teens stopped.   
  
“This is me." She said as she played with the cover of her history book.   
  
Spike awkwardly nodded as he shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. Buffy’s gaze bounced off the walls and scanned the entire hall as she tried to avoid the bleached teen standing in front of her. She froze as she saw Angel and Dru walking towards them, the quarterback’s heavy arms draped over the black clad teen. Spike followed her eyes and swallowed hard as the couple quickly approached them.   
  
“Well… bye." She uttered quickly as she turned around to enter the classroom, when she felt herself being pulled backwards by her left arm.   
  
Before she could register Spike’s arms around her or her chest pushed against his, his lips came down to crush hers in a demanding kiss. She froze, feeling his hands slip under her sweater to caress her lower back for a split second before he pulled away from her.   
  
“Didn’t taste that bad, did it, luv?" He whispered in her ear before he walked away.   
  
Buffy was left behind, completely dumbstruck, staring at the parting teen as he strolled pass Angel and Dru.   
  
“Dru. Angel." She heard him greet them before Mrs. Finch’s high-pitched voice pierced its way through the haze that engulfed her.   
  
“Miss Summers are you planning on joining us anytime soon?"   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy yawned loudly as she walked out of the classroom after Oz and Willow.   
  
“Buffy, I knew you didn’t like Spanish, but I had no idea the subject bored you so much." The redhead noted as they walked down the hall.   
  
“I just didn’t get much sleep last night. That’s all." Buffy explained in a low voice.   
  
“Bummed over your mom going out on a date, huh?" Willow gave her best friend a sympathetic look.   
  
“I’m adjusting." Buffy mumbled.   
  
“Hey guys!" They heard Xander’s booming voice as he approached.   
  
“Xander, you don’t have to shout." Cordelia grumbled as they all walked towards the cafeteria, suddenly, Buffy stopped.   
  
“What’s up, Buffster?" Xander asked.   
  
“I-I don’t think I’m hungry." She stuttered awkwardly.   
  
“Are you going on one of those stupid ‘eat nothing and get anaemia’ kind of diets?" The boy questioned.   
  
“No, you guys just go along and I-I’ll join you later."   
  
“Buffy, you really should-“   
  
Before Willow could say anything else, Buffy had whirled around and was steadily walking down the hall. Willow and Xander exchanged a concerned look.   
  
“What’s up with the Buffster?"   
  
“It’s her mom." Willow began as they entered the cafeteria. “She- Spike!" The redhead jumped up as the bleached teen appeared in front of her out of nowhere.   
  
“Hey, red. Where’s Buffy?"   
  
“She wasn’t feeling well. She doesn’t want to have…" She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as the Brit turned around and left. Willow instantly pouted. “Why’s everyone running from me?"   
  
“I won’t." Oz piped up, worming his arm around his girlfriend.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy walked idly down the hall as she made her way to the football field when someone grabbed her by her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom.   
  
“Spike." She jumped when she saw him and asked nervously: “What are you doing here?"   
  
“You’re not getting off the hook that easy." He said tilting his head as he leaned on the door, blocking her way out.   
  
“Wh-What are you talking about?" she stuttered.   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“Well… We already kissed, so… no need to do it in front of the whole student body anymore." She blurted out.   
  
He remained silent giving her a disapproving look, watching as she tried to excuse herself:   
  
“I-I mean, we’ve achieved our goal, right? We kissed, people know we kiss. We are officially perceived as a kissing couple. Goal achieved. No more kissing required. End of kissing talk." She ended her rambling taking a deep breath and waited for his reaction.   
  
Without a word, he walked over to her and she instinctively stepped back until the back of her legs hit the edge of a desk and he was able to close the distance between them. He towered over her as he questioned in a low voice, a smirk on his lips:   
  
“Why does the thought of kissing me make you so nervous?"   
  
She froze for a split second, before jumping up and awkwardly slipping away from him to quickly put the table between them.   
  
“Nervous? I’m not nervous." She tried to sound as sure of herself as possible, but failed as her voice came out in a squeak.   
  
“Just admit it." He said plainly, leaning over on the desk.   
  
Buffy immediately stepped back.   
  
“Admit what?"   
  
“That you’ve got the hots for me, pet. It’s only natural."   
  
“Ha! You’re funny!" She chuckled, but the uneasiness was still clear in her voice.   
  
Spike remained in place, just smirking at her.   
  
“Stop that!" She protested.   
  
“Stop what?"   
  
“That grinning thing. It’s disconcerting."   
  
“Oh! A big word!" He mocked widening his eyes while she narrowed hers.   
  
She stood up straight, crossing her arms around over her chest.   
  
“What do you want?" She grumbled.   
  
“Why are you afraid to kiss me?" He finally asked seriously.   
  
“I’m not afraid, just disgusted." She retorted.   
  
“Come on, Buffy…" He sighed audibly plopping onto a nearby desk.   
  
“Oh, fine, let’s do it." She said crossing the room and sitting on the table opposite to him, her eyes closed as she pushed her lips together.   
  
She waited and nothing. Finally, she opened her left eye to find Spike shaking his head at her.   
  
“What?" She asked bringing her shoulders together.   
  
“You…" He started pointing at her, before turning his finger on himself. “Kiss me."   
  
Chapter 15 Buffy’s eyes widened at his short statement.   
  
“What?!" She exclaimed as her legs dangled off the desk.   
  
“You heard me, Summers." He gave her a cocky smile and his scarred eyebrow rose up high on his forehead.   
  
She was about to protest, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times as a frown settled on her forehead, but soon realised it was no use.   
  
“Fine. Let’s get this over with." She exhaled sharply as she jumped off the table and closed the distance between them.   
  
“It’s so nice to feel wanted." He said with a sardonic tone, which earned him a forced smile from the blonde teen that now stood in front of him.   
  
A moment of silence filtered between the two of them and Buffy took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and pausing before opening them again. She slowly moved in, leaning into the bleached teen who still sat on one of the desks when suddenly, she backed away.   
  
“What?!" The bleached teen gasped, with a frown as he watched her walking around in circles.   
  
“Still haven’t gotten over the ‘yuck’ factor." She mumbled as she stopped to face him.   
  
He simply looked at her with an annoyed expression plastered on his face.   
  
“Take your time, Betty." He grumbled, emphasizing the last word.   
  
In a flash, she was standing in front of him, cheeks flushed and anger flashing in her green eyes.   
  
“It’s Buffy! How many times do I have to tell you? Buffy, Buffy, Buffy!" She almost screamed. “God! You know, I don’t know why I’m doing this." She waved her hands in the air as she started rambling. “I don’t think seeing Angel grovel at my feet is worth all the effort. You’re just so… so…" She struggled to find the right word.   
  
“Sexy?" He offered with a grin.   
  
“Grrrrrr…" She growled in his face. “I hate you." She said between clenched teeth.   
  
“Ditto." Spike answered with a plastic smile.   
  
Once again, she sighed audibly as she frantically struggled with her hair, pulling it away from her face and curling it behind her ears. She shook her arms at her side as if preparing for a race. Spike simply smiled. Closing her eyes once more and inhaling sharply she tried to calm herself. After a few moments of silence she was able to do so. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked down on him for a few seconds before quickly running her tongue over her lips to moisten them and leaned in. She could feel her heart slamming violently against her ribcage, her knees threatening to buckle from under her, the palms of her hands soaked as she tilted her head sideways and closed her eyes. Her mouth barely brushed over his bottom lip, for a first innocent contact. She pulled away, just a bit, to breathe in before she returned to her task. This time, she parted her lips, taking his lower one between hers, pulling lightly at it as the kiss built up.   
  
He remained frozen, his arms at his sides, partially supporting his weight on the desk, while she kissed him. He let out a deep groan as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth as if wanting to devour it and instinctively wrapped his arms around her, gruffly pulling her towards him until she was between his legs, her arms crushed against his chest. His left hand slowly made its way from her lower back to the crook of her neck, cupping her face to deepen the kiss.   
  
Buffy’s heart skipped a beat when she felt his tongue gliding over her mouth, as if asking permission to enter. Before she could even process the information, she was parting her lips, letting him in. A moan escaped her as they fought for dominance and the kiss intensified.   
  
They pushed and tugged at each other’s clothes as teeth and hands came into play. Buffy’s fingers curled around the collar of his shirt, bringing him closer to her while she leaned into him. They battled away and light moans occasionally filled the empty and silent classroom. Eventually, as lack of oxygen started to become an issue, Spike was forced to pull away from her. He looked at her from under hooded and dazed eyes, his forehead resting on hers as he tried to speak coherently:   
  
“Think you’re…" gasp “Over…" pant “the ‘yuck factor’?" He managed to ask her between gasps, his gaze alternating between her eyes and her swollen lips.   
  
“Not sure…" She inhaled sharply closing her eyelids, trying hard to control her breathing before uttering: “Better make sure."   
  
“Better safe than sorry…"   
  
Buffy nodded in agreement as his hand hungrily snaked under her ear to pull her toward him for another kiss.   
  
She had time for a short breath before he once more crushed her lips with his; his tongue slipping inside of her mouth with ravenous urgency. His hands slid down to her thighs, hooking under them and pulling her skywards as he stood up; her legs instinctively wrapping themselves around his waist.   
  
Buffy was so lost, she didn’t even notice she was being carried across the classroom and set on a hard surface. She partially opened her eyes to quickly glance down and realised she was sitting on the teacher’s desk with Spike nestled between her legs. She let out a deep groan as he nibbled his way across her jaw, towards the sensitive spot just below her earlobe.   
  
Spike inhaled sharply and buried his nose in her turtleneck sweater for a second as her scent surround her him. The sound of her gasping sent chills down his spine and his grip on her thighs tightened as his tongue caressed the tender skin of her neck.   
  
Suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched sound pierced through their combined haze.   
  
“Wha…" Buffy tried to ask, but it seemed impossible.   
  
“Hum…" She heard him moan as his mouth glided across her chin to reach her lips once more.   
  
“Sp-“ She wasn’t able to finish the word as he kissed her once again. “Spike…" She gasped when she had a chance. “The…" kiss “Hum…" kiss “The… ah…" She gave up and leaned in to deepen the kiss.   
  
Once again, their moans and gasps filled the room and they were lost in a blinding haze when, suddenly, loud, gossiping voices broke the stillness. The noise lasted for a few moments before coming to an abrupt halt. Buffy opened her eyes for a split second and they grew wide when she saw the door to the classroom wide open and a crowd of teens standing dumbstruck at the threshold. It took a while for her to recognize them but, eventually, she did. The short, gawking boy, whose hand still rested on the doorknob, was Jonathan, the teen next to him Andrew. The girl, who was still too shocked to close her mouth, was Harmony and the black clad figure right behind her? Who could it be, if not – Dru!   
  
Buffy froze, wide eyed, staring back at the mini-crowd gathered at the door. She was still too flabbergasted to realise a certain bleached teen was still nibbling at her ear.   
  
“Spike!" She called out, pulling at his duster.   
  
There was no answer besides a deep groan.   
  
“Why are you guys standing there like a bunch of idiots?" Angel’s voice hovered into the room as he made his way through the crowd. “Dru, honey, what going-“ He stopped in mid sentence as he witnessed the same spectacle as the others.   
  
“Spike!!!" Buffy screamed pushing him away with such strength that the Brit stumbled backwards and only didn’t fall flat on the floor thanks to a desk behind him.   
  
“Wha’?" He asked with a husky voice.   
  
There was no need for Buffy to answer his question as he soon turned to see the group of teens standing at the door.   
  
“Oh…" He managed to say; his gaze flying from the crowd to the flushed blonde still sitting on the desk.   
  
“I… We… I and- I" Buffy struggled with the words, trying to find an explanation for the event. “I…" She tried once more, but was unsuccessful.   
  
Her heart raced as everyone eyed her. She felt exposed, dirty. God, she felt… She had to get out of there. In a flash, she jumped off the table and was running out the door, pushing her way trough the teens, trying hard to ignore the look on everyone’s faces.   
  
Spike was left behind, being now the centre of attentions. In complete silence, he stood up straight, shoved his hands into his pockets and started to leave the room when a strong hand gripped his arm. He turned around to see a seriously pissed off quarterback staring down at him. Angel was about to say something when Dru leaned into him and whispered something into his ear. The dark-haired teen remained still for a few seconds, pondering what to do.   
  
“Got something to say, mate?" Spiked asked between clenched teeth.   
  
Without a word, Angel let go of his arm and the bleached Brit stormed away while the small crown started to disband.   
  
~+~   
  
“Buffy!" He shouted as he watched her run down the hall.   
  
Her response was to increase her speed as she opened the main door and exited the building.   
  
“Buffy, stop! Buffy!" He yelled after her.   
  
She didn’t answer, just continued to jog her way down the street.   
  
“Buffy! We need to… talk!" He began coughing as he was almost catching up with her when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and faced him with a murderous look on her face.   
  
“What?!" She snapped while she watched the bleached teen bend down and rest his hands on his knees as he gasped and panted violently.   
  
“I-“ cough “Why are you running?’"   
  
“Why?!" She yelled. “Did you see their faces? Did you?"   
  
“Yeah! I thought that was the point!" He said between gasps as he stood up straight, his hand resting on his stomach.   
  
“The point?" She practically screamed.   
  
“Yeah! Make them believe that we’re together."   
  
“And that I’m some kind of kinky slut that likes doing it on the teacher’s desk." She shouted.   
  
“Come on. They’re not going to think-“   
  
She cut him off:   
  
“Of course they are!" She howled. “I mean, everyone was there! By now the whole school knows!"   
  
“You’re exaggerating, luv. There were just a half a dozen kids there."   
  
“Half a dozen? Did you even see who was there? Every group in that stupid high school had a representative there. The nerds, the fashionably, bubbled-gum-brained cheerleaders, the jocks… God, even Dru was there to represent the freaky black-clad outcasts. But that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?"   
  
“What?!" He asked confused as the blonde teen continued to scream off the top of her lungs.   
  
“You probably planned the whole thing. God! How could I be so stupid?" She gasped as she brought her hand to her forehead. “You planned the whole thing! God! I hate you, so much, I-"   
  
“Ok." Spike decided to step in. “First of all - will you stop shouting for a bloody second, woman? I think you’ve just pierced my eardrum." He protested, sticking his finger into his ear as he cringed. “And second, how the hell would I plan the whole thing? I didn’t even know you weren’t going to eat at the cafeteria." He pointed out, but she was so enraged, she couldn’t even see straight.   
  
“I know you did. Just admit it and I won’t have to kill you; just cause you enough physical harm that will leave you paralysed from the neck down." She threatened with a flame in her eyes.   
  
“Buffy, listen to yourself. I could have never done that. Even if I was *that* much of a prick, I wouldn’t be able to do it." He tried to explain when she whirled around and started to walk away. “Buffy…" He breathed as he walked after her, but she came to a halt once again.   
  
“Don’t come anywhere near me, ever again." She hissed between clenched teeth and walked away.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy entered the house and, without a word, stormed up the staircase and entered her bedroom. Slamming the door behind her, she flung herself on the bed. In a few moments, a light knock on the door was heard.   
  
“Honey…?" Mrs. Summer’s soft voice filled the room as she entered it. “Are you ok? What are you doing home so early?" She questioned as she came closer to the bed and realised her daughter was crying. “Oh, honey, what happened? Buffy…"   
  
“It’s ok, mom. I just wasn’t feeling so good so I came home." Buffy quickly answered as she sat up straight and hastily wiped the tears from her flushed face.   
  
Mrs. Summer’s looked at her from under a frown.   
  
“It’s true, I’m fine. I just have this horrible headache." Buffy lied rather convincingly.   
  
“I knew you were coming down with something." The older woman exhaled sharply as she rested her hand on her daughter’s forehead. “You’re kinda warm."   
  
“I’m fine, mom. I’m fine." The teen insisted, running her hands across her face and pulling the rebellious strands of her hair behind her ears as she leaned on the headboard of the bed.   
  
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to catch something."   
  
Buffy nodded with a weak smile and Mrs. Summer’s stood up and walked over to the door.   
  
“Well, I’ll get you an aspirin and some vitamins, just to make sure. Do you want some hot-cocoa?" She offered as she stood at the threshold.   
  
“That’d be great, mom."   
  
The moment the door was closed Buffy slammed her head against the headboard as she let out an audible sigh. She ran her fingers over her face as she contemplated what had happened only half an hour ago. ‘God, how could I be so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now everyone in school’s gonna think I’m a slut that does it on the teacher’s desk." She let out a deep groan, closing her eyes and trying to erase the thought from her mind. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!’ she continued to insult herself in her mind.   
  
“It’s all *his* fault!" She finally said between clenched teeth. “God, I hate him soooo much! I’m gonna kill that bleached idiot! Kill, kill, kill…" She continued as the anger built up inside of her. “You kiss me." She said with a mocking tone. “I’ll give him the ‘you kiss me’. Grrr…."   
  
She slumped down on her bed and curled herself into the foetal position as she stared out the window. Soon, the screeching sound of a door opening was heard and light footsteps followed.   
  
“Thanks, mom." Buffy started as she turned around. “I don’t know- Spike!" She exclaimed as she saw the bleached teen standing by her bed holding a tray. “Get out!" she immediately hissed.   
  
“Now, luv don’t want to-“   
  
“I don’t want to hear it. Put the tray down and get out!" She raised her voice slightly.   
  
He obeyed to the first part of the command, setting the tray on the nightstand, but ignored the second.   
  
“Are you hard of hearing?"   
  
“I’m not leaving until you tell me why you’re acting this way." He replied in a low, calm voice that made her nerves act up.   
  
“Because… I… Hum…" She struggled for an explanation and finally hissed: “Cause the entire school thinks I’m a ho and it’s all you’re fault."   
  
“My fault? How is it my fault?" he asked defensively.   
  
“You were the one who caused it. You with you’re ‘You kiss me’ speech." The last sentence was said with a high-pitched semi-whining tone.   
  
“No one forced you to do anything, luv. Actually, as far as I can remember you seemed more than willing." He replied with a mocking tone, but the partial grin on his face soon crumbled as he saw the rage flare up in her green eyes. “Look, so they saw us snogging, it’s not like the entire world is going to fall apart."   
  
“You just don’t get it, do you? People will-“   
  
“Will what?" He interrupted her. “We weren’t doing anything wrong!" He sighed audibly.   
  
Buffy remained still, trying to find a reason for her rage, but couldn’t find any. He was right; there wasn’t anything wrong with what they had done. Sure it bordered on the kinky, but so what? They were teenagers; they were supposed to do dumb things.   
  
“Luv, just calm down and-“   
  
“Don’t call me that." She warned him.   
  
“Sorry." He apologized sincerely.   
  
They exchanged a look of truce and silence filtered between them. Finally, Buffy spoke:   
  
“Did you see the look on Angel’s face?" She said with half a smirk.   
  
“Yeah, the wanker looked like he was about to have a fit." Spike replied with a grin of his own as Buffy’s smile grew.   
  
“I never knew a person could turn that green." She chuckled as she started to relax.   
  
“Did you see Dru? Man, she looked like she as about to pop with envy." He laughed out loud.   
  
Something about the way he said it, maybe the sparkle in his eye as he spoke her name, made the subject a lot less funny to her. But, she ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach and continued in a low voice:   
  
“Guess, the plan is working, huh?"   
  
Spike’s smile seemed to dim at her question: “I guess."   
  
“Who would have thought they would fall for it?"   
  
“Yeah…" Spike breathed as the tension between them grew.   
  
“Well… I guess you’ll have Dru with you in no time."   
  
“Yeah." He paused for a second and swallowed hard before forcing the words out. “And you’ll have Angel."   
  
“My own personal slave." She said with a mocking tone and a smile. “Let the good times roll."   
  
Spike simply smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets. After a few moments of silence he finally decided to speak:   
  
“Hum… Summers?"   
  
Buffy looked at him as his gaze travelled from the floor to meet hers.   
  
“Are you still…" He paused, waiting for her to answer, but it was clear she didn’t understand the incomplete question. “Are you still… in love with him?"   
  
Buffy frowned a bit and tilted her head, but didn’t answer.   
  
“Hum… I’m sorry; I shouldn’t be asking this, I’ll just be going." He spoke quickly and awkwardly as he headed for the door. “Your mom’s probably going to worry about you having a boy in your room all this time and-“   
  
“She thinks you’re gay, Spike." She said with a devilish grin.   
  
“Don’t remind me." He grunted as he turned the knob and prepared to leave when Buffy spoke:   
  
“Hum… Spike?"   
  
“Yeah, luv?"   
  
“Me and the guys are going to the Bronze on Friday. Wanna come with?" There was a hint of insecurity in her tone and when he didn’t answer immediately she quickly added: “Totally on a ‘make Dru and Angel face the green-eyed monster’ basis, of course." He remained silent. “Dru will probably be there… would be fun to see if she pops this time." She continued with a weak smile. “Or maybe not, it’s your-“   
  
“I’ll be there, Summers." He interrupted her with a low, calm voice.   
  
“Oh…" She breathed. “Good." She said shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans as her feet fumbled with the edge of the carpet.   
  
“See you tomorrow, Betty."   
  
“See you tomorrow, William."   
  
She watched as the bleached hair disappeared behind the closing door and held her breath. A sharp ringing tone snapped her out of her thoughts.   
  
“Hello?" She asked as she picked up the phone.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
“Hey, Willow!"   
  
“Are you ok?" An extremely anxious and nervous redhead questioned from the other side of the line. “I mean people are talking that you and Spike were doing the nasty on Mr. Gulliver’s desk. Is that true? What happened? Are you ok? Did Spike do something-“   
  
“Willow, Willow. Slow down. Breathe. That’s it. Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale." Buffy coached. “And no, I wasn’t doing the *nasty* with Spike. We were just… you know…"   
  
“No, I don’t. That’s why I’m calling. Oh, and by the way, Xander had a heart attack when Harmony told him that she had walked in on you and Spike stark naked in-“   
  
“What?! God, I’m gonna kill that bleached airhead." Buffy grumbled between clenched teeth. “I wasn’t doing anything. We were just kissing, Willow. That’s all."   
  
“A-are you sure?" Willow hesitated.   
  
“I’m pretty sure. I mean, I *was* there and all, you know?" Buffy replied sarcastically.   
  
“So-sorry, I-I didn’t mean to-“   
  
“It’s ok, Wills. No need to go on stutter mode."   
  
“So, you’re ok then? I was just worried about you. You left school and didn’t say a thing, I thought…"   
  
“Nothing bad happened. I promise. I was just a bit… embarrassed out of my mind! Couldn’t really take the whole Gestapo-like inquiring and gawking."   
  
“I understand. Will you come to school tomorrow?"   
  
“Yes, don’t worry. Ok?"   
  
“Ok. Bye."   
  
“Bye, Willow."   
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 16   
  
Buffy lay quietly on her bed, eyes closed, lost somewhere between hazy consciousness and deep slumber. She turned on her back and draped her arms over the warm blankets resting them on her chest, when a soft noise broke through the sleepy mist that surrounded her mind. She tried to open her eyes, but her lids seemed to hold the weight of the world, so she kept them closed, but when she felt her mattress move, she quickly opened them. Her sight was foggy and it took a while for her to focus on the approaching figure that climbed onto her bed and cat-like crept its way up her body. She didn’t need to see him to know who he was; the clear scent of alcohol and cigarettes surrounding her was evidence enough. She held her breath as he crawled all the way up and hovered over her frozen form, his weight resting on his forearms that lay on either side of her.   
  
“Spike, what are you doing here?" She tried to sound angry and outraged, but to no avail, as the word came out like a fragile whisper.   
  
“Shh…." She heard him say before he buried his head in the nape of her neck, lightly kissing his way up to her earlobe.   
  
She gasped as she felt him rest his weight on her, one of his legs between hers as his left hand wormed its way under the covers, pulling them off of her before tugging at her nightgown.   
  
“Sp…" She tried to speak but the words got caught in her throat as his fingers dug into the outside of her thighs hitching up the nightdress.   
  
She heard him moan, as he thrust his pelvis against hers and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips. Her hands pulled and tugged at his red shirt, trying to drag it over his head, but he wouldn’t let go of her. His arms wrapped around her, one resting on her thigh, the other on her neck as he pulled her towards him for a bruising kiss. She felt him rub against her and let out a muffled cry into his mouth, running her nails over his clothed back.   
  
He pulled away abruptly to stared down at her, their breaths coming in short urgent pants.   
  
“You’re beautiful, Summers." He whispered, before diving for her neck once more.   
  
She arched up letting out a moan as she felt the hand on her thigh move between her legs to tug at her panties.   
  
“God… Buffy." She heard him gasp as his fingers pushed the elastic band to the side.   
  
“Buffy… Buffy, wake up!"   
  
Her eyes snapped open to meet the figure of her mother standing by her bed, lightly shaking her out of her dream.   
  
“Mom?!" Buffy asked confused as a frown settled over her eyebrows.   
  
“You’re going to be late for school, missy." Mrs. Summers warned her daughter. “Now, get out of bed. I’ll come up before I leave to check if you’re up." She said as she left the room.   
  
Buffy propped herself on her elbows, her hazy stare scanning the empty room. Her eyes widened as the memories of her dream assaulted her mind.   
  
“Oh… my God." She whispered to herself but, as a couple more images flashed before her eyes, she repeated with a high-pitched tone: “OH, MY GOD!"   
  
~+~   
  
She quickly scurried down the hall, through the multitude of teenagers with her head bowed and her books tightly clenched against her chest, trying hard to avoid the places where she thought he might be.   
  
“Hey, Buffy!" She heard Willow’s familiar voice and turned to see the redhead standing by her locker next to Oz, waving her hand.   
  
The petite blond smiled and was about to go meet with her when she saw a flash of white hair and black leather turn the corner and head towards Willow. Buffy’s eyes widened and she quickly shouted:   
  
“I can’t now. I’m late for class." And with that she whirled around and continued down the hall.   
  
Willow frowned at her best friend’s statement.   
  
“Late for class? The bell hasn’t rung yet. And since when is Buffy paranoid about being on time… And for English lit to top it?"   
  
Oz simply shrugged.   
  
“Hey."   
  
Willow jumped up as she heard the deep male voice coming from behind her.   
  
“Hey, Spike." She quickly replied while Oz gave him a light nod.   
  
“You guys seen Buffy?" He asked.   
  
“We just saw her on her way to class." Willow explained.   
  
“Already?" Spike furrowed his brows.   
  
The two redheads gave Spike a shrug.   
  
“Well, I’ll see you guys later then." The bleached teen said as he quickly sprinted down the hall on his way to class.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy scurried down the corridor, looking through her books to find her class schedule. She was so engrossed in her current task, she didn’t even notice the curious glances thrown her way, or the incessant whispering that seemed to affect every student she passed by. She let out a satisfied sigh as she found what she was looking for.   
  
“Wednesday… Wednesday…" She muttered as her finger ran over the table printed on the small piece of paper. Why couldn’t she remember what class she had? “Stupid dream!" She mumbled, returning to her search. “English lit." She said before looking up to see where she was. “That way."   
  
As she reached the classroom, she looked both ways before turning the knob and entering. She closed the door behind her and let out a deep sight of relief, closing her eyes.   
  
“Safe. Good old English lit, ah."   
  
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.   
  
“English lit? That’s with-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as someone opened the door she was leaning against and sent her sprawling to the floor. She groaned as she hit the hard surface, her hair coming to cover her face but she quickly scrambled to her feet. Exhaling sharply, she sent her blonde strands flying away from her face. She had to suppress a high-pitched squeak when she saw who was standing in front of her, holding the door open.   
  
“Spike." She groaned, rolling her eyes as she turned on her heels and made her way to her desk, by the window.   
  
“Hey, luv! Nice to see you too." He mumbled sarcastically, closing the door behind him.   
  
“What are you doing here?" She asked with an annoyed tone, trying hard to repress the memories of her dream, which seemed intent on flashing before her eyes.   
  
“Question would be: why are you here, luv? Class hasn’t started yet." Spike noted coming to lean on the desk next to hers.   
  
Buffy ran her fingers over her tired eyed, pushing back the nasty images and groaning.   
  
“Are you ok? Is it because of yesterday? Cause I thought-“   
  
“No, I’m fine." She grumbled.   
  
“Oh, yeah, you’re just peachy, luv."   
  
“Can you please quit calling me that?" She practically begged.   
  
Spike melted down to his seat and stared at her.   
  
“Is it cause of you’re mom? Cause-“   
  
“Spike, stop trying to analyse me. I told you – I’m fine. I’m just tired. Had a really, *really* bad dream." She moaned as she rested her head between her hands, her elbows on the desk.   
  
“Sure that’s just it?" He asked and couldn’t help letting a hint of worry filter through to his tone.   
  
“Spike, why are you asking me all these questions?" She groaned finally looking up at him.   
  
He was about to answer, when the classroom door was opened.   
  
“How’d you kids get in here?" Mrs. Kennedy’s voice hovered into the room and the two teens quickly turned to face her.   
  
“Hey, Mrs. Kennedy." Buffy greeted awkwardly.   
  
“Ms. Summers." The 30-year-old woman nodded, resting her things on her desk. “Never thought of you as someone to come early to class. I thought you hated English Literature."   
  
“I- I… don’t… I…" Buffy stumbled over the words.   
  
“No need to stutter, Buffy, I’m glad to see you’ve taken an interest in my class." Mrs. Kennedy smiled and winked at the petite blonde from under her glasses.   
  
Buffy let out a sigh of relief while Spike stood up and strolled over to speak to the teacher. Buffy frowned as she watched the two quickly exchange a few words, with Mrs. Kennedy nodding before the bleached teen turned on his heels and took his place next to Buffy.   
  
“Why are you smiling? I don’t like it when you do that. It’s a sign of bad things to come." Buffy grumbled, raising her eyebrow.   
  
The school bell rang and Mrs. Kennedy opened the classroom door to let in a flood of pimpled teens. A wave of gossip and whispering soon filled the room as everyone eyed the blonde couple now seated together.   
  
“Aren’t you going to take your seat?" Buffy questioned.   
  
Before Spike could answer, Mrs. Kennedy called out:   
  
“Ms. Kendal." She had no answer as the blonde teen enthusiastically chatted with a fellow student while eyeing the infamous couple. “Harmony Kendal!" Mrs. Kennedy called once more and this time the girl acknowledged her. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like you to change seats with Spike."   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened, staring at Spike while he wiggled his eyebrows at her and smirked.   
  
“What?! Why?" The teen whined.   
  
“Because from now on, Spike will tutor Buffy in her English Literature studies. And it would do you good not to be so close to your cheerleading colleagues. You seem to have a great deal of difficulty concentrating when you’re near them." Mrs. Kennedy answered as she turned to write something on the board.   
  
“But-“   
  
“Not another word, Harmony." Mrs. Kennedy warned, not bothering to turn and face the teen.   
  
Reluctantly, the blonde teen picked up her things and mumbled as she dragged her feet across the room to reach her new desk:   
  
“Tutoring, my ass…"   
  
“I heard that, Ms. Kendal." Mrs. Kennedy warned before starting the class.   
  
An hour later, the school bell rang once more and a combined sigh of relief coming from the students was heard, as instantly the teens began packing their books and preparing to leave.   
  
Spike leaned on his new desk watching as Buffy awkwardly stuffed her things into her backpack.   
  
“Are you nervous, pet?" He finally asked, cocking up a curious eyebrow.   
  
She had spent the entire class avoiding him, frantically scribbling on her notebook. If he didn’t know her better he would have thought she was actually trying to learn something. Every time he’d glance at her or call her, she’d turn bright red and would just stare down at her books.   
  
“I’m fine." She breathed, putting her bag over her shoulder.   
  
“Well, you look kinda jittery to me." He insisted as they walked out the door together.   
  
“I’m just busy. I-I gotta go."   
  
And with that she was sprinting down the hall, leaving behind a dumbstruck teen.   
  
~+~   
  
Two days passed and Buffy continued intent on avoiding him, being quite successful at it. She had only seen him once, on Thursday, and she had managed to hide before he saw her.   
  
She let out a content sigh as she entered the house and dragged her feet up the stairs. She plopped down on her bed, lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling, when the phone rang. She grunted as she reluctantly crawled her way up her bed to her nightstand and picked up the receiver.   
  
“Hello?"   
  
“Hey, Buffy." Willow’s peppy mood was heard from the other side of the line.   
  
“Hey, Wills." The blonde teen mumbled, rolling onto her back and closing her eyes.   
  
“So, what time tonight?"   
  
“Tonight?" Buffy frowned as he mind drew a blank. “What about tonight?"   
  
“The Bronze… remember?"   
  
“Oh… right." Buffy uttered with little enthusiasm.   
  
“Don’t tell me you’re not coming." Willow begged as she knew her best friend all too well.   
  
“Well… I’m kinda tired and my mom-“   
  
“Oh, come on, Buffy! You said you’d come, you promised." Willow whined.   
  
“Why do you want me to come?" Buffy wondered.   
  
“Well, I-I… you’re my best friend and-and… it wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t come." The redhead stammered.   
  
“Right… Now, let’s try this once more, and without the pathetic attempt to lie." Buffy mumbled, pressing her fingers against her shut eyelids.   
  
“I-I’m not lying."   
  
“Come on Wills. You couldn’t lie if your life depended on it. Now out with it!" Buffy ordered with a light tone.   
  
“Oh, alright!" Suddenly, Willow’s tone became giddy with childlike excitement. “I’m not supposed to tell you this but…" There was a moment of pause before the hysterical redhead shouted into the receiver: “Oz’s band it playing tonight!"   
  
Buffy jumped up, letting go of the phone to rest her hand on her ear. A string of curses passed through her clenched teeth before she picked up the receiver.   
  
“Buffy, are you there?"   
  
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m bleeding from my ear, but I’m here."   
  
“Oh, I’m so sorry! It’s just that… OZ IS PLAYING TONIGHT!" Willow yelled once more causing Buffy to jump up again.   
  
“Ok, Willow, which part of ‘I’m bleeding from my ear’ didn’t you get? Was it the ‘ear’ or ‘the bleeding from’?"   
  
“I’m sorry." Willow said in a small voice. “It’s just that I’m so excited."   
  
“The constant ringing in my ear is definitely proof of it."   
  
“I’m sorry." The redhead begged.   
  
“It’s ok, Wills. No biggy." Buffy said as she stuck her finger into her ear and cringed.   
  
“So you’re coming right?"   
  
There was no answer.   
  
“Oh, come on! You gotta come. I’m bringing a video camera and all!!!" Willow’s excitement was evident in her high-pitched tone.   
  
“I…"   
  
“Pleeeeease."   
  
“I can’t promise anything. But I’ll try, ok?"   
  
“Ok. I gotta go now. Gotta pick my least non-sexy outfit." Willow giggled.   
  
“Bye Wills."   
  
“Bye."   
  
Buffy remained lying on the bed, on her back, letting the busy signal from the receiver echo in her ears for a few seconds before putting it back in place. She closed her eyes and was slowly drifting to sleep when she heard the door to her room swing open.   
  
“Honey?" Her mother’s voice filled the room.   
  
“Mom? What are you doing home?" Buffy asked as she slowly propped herself up on her elbows. She frowned when she saw how her mother dressed up and… “You’re wearing make up!"   
  
“Yes." Mrs. Summer nodded, tightening her grip on the peach-coloured shawl that was draped over her slender shoulders.   
  
“You never wear make up. Not even on your last few dates." Buffy noted suspiciously as she sat up straight.   
  
“That’s true." Another annoyingly peaceful nod was thrown Buffy’s way.   
  
“Why are you wearing make up?"   
  
“I’m going on a date."   
  
“Again?! You’ve gone out on dates every night this week." Buffy noted a bit outraged by her mom’s behaviour.   
  
“Buffy, I’m a grown woman and I have the right to go out as much as I please."   
  
Buffy sighed in frustration as she stood up.   
  
“I know mom, but… “ She paused, choosing her words. “Is it serious?"   
  
“What is, honey?"   
  
“The person you’re going out with… Is it serious? I mean if it’s make up worthy, it’s probably serious." Buffy stated.   
  
Mrs. Summers pressed her lips together. She really didn’t want to talk about this right now.   
  
“Honey… I don’t know."   
  
“Am I going to have to meet him?" Buffy questioned with a hint of desperation.   
  
A soft smile crept over the older woman’s lips as she shook her head.   
  
“Not just, yet."   
  
“Good." Buffy sighed in relief walking back to her bed while her mother stayed at the doorway.   
  
“Are still going out tonight?" Mrs. Summers asked.   
  
“I don’t know. I might." Buffy mumbled as she plopped down on the bed.   
  
“Well, have fun." Her mother started to leave, when she stopped and her face gained a light shade of red. “I-I might be late tonight."   
  
Buffy tilted her head and cocked a suspicious eyebrow before she asked:   
  
“How late?"   
  
“Late." Mrs. Summers clearly tried to avoid the subject.   
  
“How late, mom?" Buffy insisted.   
  
“I might not come home tonight." Mrs. Summer’s blurted out, finally finding the courage to word it out. But before her daughter could say anything, she closed the door, sprinted down the stairs and out the front entrance, leaving Buffy sitting on her bed, trying to pick up her jaw.   
  
~+~   
  
She walked around in circles in her room, clenching and unclenching her hands at her sides, her nails digging into her sweaty palms.   
  
“My mom is having sex with a stranger?" She mumbled the words in disbelief for the 100th time that evening. “My mom. Is having sex. With a stranger." Her stomach turned, doing a couple of painful flip-flops. “Oh, God… I think I’m gonna be sick." She managed to word out as she ran her way down the hall and into the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet to throw up.   
  
After the nauseating deed was done, she let her body fall limply to the white tiled floor and leaned on the cold wall, closing her eyes tightly shut. She grumbled under her breath as she heard the doorbell and contemplated just letting it ring. She really didn’t feel like getting up right now. Eventually, the clear resonant sound started to dig into her brain causing a major migraine and she forced her tired body into the standing position, sluggishly making her way down the stairs while the ringing became incessant.   
  
“I’m coming, I’m coming. For Christ sake will you just hang on a sec?" She shouted just as she swung the door open. She rolled her eyes as she was greeted by the familiar peroxide blond.   
  
“You’re not dressed yet." He noted as he saw the thick, white robe she was wearing and the cute bunny shaped slippers.   
  
“No? Really? You have such cunning observational skills. You amaze me!" She uttered with fake enthusiasm as she dragged her feet to the living room.   
  
Spike frowned as he walked in, closing the door behind him and followed the petite blonde.   
  
“I see you’re in your usual peppy mood tonight." He said watching her plopped down on the couch and idly flip through the channels.   
  
“Don’t push me Spike, I’m not in a good mood." She grumbled, her eyes never leaving the flickering images coming from the TV.   
  
“Oh… that’s new." He retorted.   
  
Rolling her eyes once more, she turned to look at the black-clad teen and realised he had his hand conveniently concealed behind his back.   
  
“What are you hiding?" She asked, trying to sound uninterested.   
  
“Nothing." He answered with a grin.   
  
“What is it?" She insisted sitting up straight.   
  
“Nothing."   
  
Without a word, she stood up and walked over to him. He immediately stepped back.   
  
“Come on. What’re you hiding?" She repeated.   
  
His grin grew wider as she tried to circle around him, but he kept turning, never giving her the chance to see what he was concealing. They played the cat and mouse game for a while, and eventually, Buffy was trying to keep from giggling as she attempted to reach his back, pushing and pulling at him. Suddenly, she violently tugged his forearm, causing him to lose his balance and, instinctively, he brought both arms to his front to find support on the couch, revealing a single red rose in his left hand. Buffy frowned:   
  
“A rose? For me?" She asked a bit confused.   
  
“No. It’s for your mom." He quickly answered, seeing the sparkle in her eye die out.   
  
“Oh…" She mumbled embarrassed.   
  
He felt a pang in his heart and quickly told the truth:   
  
“I’m kidding, luv. It’s for you."   
  
She didn’t say anything, just looked up at him with a puzzled expression on her face.   
  
“Why?"   
  
“It’s our one week anniversary. I was going to bring you a bouquet but I thought you’re mom might get suspicious." He explained.   
  
Buffy narrowed her eyes. Was he blushing?   
  
“One week anniversary?"   
  
“Yeah. We agreed to our fake dating scheme a week ago, remember? ‘We’ll hold hands?’"   
  
“Oh… right." It was her turn to blush as she picked the rose from his hands.   
  
“I-I know, it’s stupid. I-I shouldn’t have-“ Spike started awkwardly.   
  
“No-no. I-I like it." Buffy stuttered as she went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and put the rose in it.   
  
“If you don’t like it, you can just throw it away. I don’t care. It was just…" Spike nervously began to ramble.   
  
“No, I like it." Buffy repeated with less hesitation.   
  
A moment of unbearably awkward silence filtered between them as they stood together in the kitchen. Buffy was the one to break it.   
  
“Do you want something to eat?"   
  
“No, thanks. I already ate. And we’re going to be late anyway, if you’re still going to get dressed and all."   
  
“I don’t think I’m going." She replied.   
  
“What do you mean? You’re not going to short stick’s gig?" Spike question frowning.   
  
“Short stick?" Buffy cocked up an eyebrow.   
  
“Oz. Red’s boyfriend."   
  
“Short stick… right. Look who’s talking." Buffy grinned as she eyed the bleached teen up and down.   
  
“Hey!" He protested.   
  
Buffy smiled triumphantly, but it soon crumbled as realisation came.   
  
“Wait a second. Willow told you about it? I thought it was supposed to be a secret." Buffy said with a pout.   
  
“Wasn’t her. Was Oz. Told me while we were playing football."   
  
“You and Oz play soccer together?"   
  
“And the whelp."   
  
“And Xander?"   
  
Spike nodded.   
  
“And Oz told you about the concert." Another nod. “Since when are you and Oz buddies?"   
  
“What can I say? People are just naturally drawn to me." He shrugged. “So are you getting dressed or not?"   
  
Buffy sighed forcibly before, nodding and sprinting up the stairs.   
  
“Give me 5 minutes." She shouted back.   
  
Chapter 17   
  
Half an hour later he sat on the couch, sprawled out as he idly flickered through channels. Every once in a while, he’d throw a glance at the staircase in the feeble hope of finding her there. Sighing audibly, he stood up and sprinted up the stairs. Reaching her bedroom, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.   
  
“You ready yet?"   
  
“Just give me two more minutes." He heard her shout from the other side.   
  
“Oh, come on luv, we’ll be late for short stick’s show." Spike grumbled.   
  
There was silence for a few moments.   
  
“Luv, we-“ He stopped in mid sentence as the door swung open to reveal her limping form.   
  
Buffy clumsily hopped on one foot as she tried to get her other one into her high-heel boots while, at the same time, attempting to put on one of her spaghetti earrings. He gawked noticeably at her as she limped her way back to her dresser. She wore a short, black miniskirt and a lustrous silver top that tied up around her neck and left her pale back exposed. The outfit was completed by the pair of knee-high black boots.   
  
She stared at the mirror, frowning as the earring refused to go through her pierced earlobe.   
  
“Stupid earring." She grumbled, while continuing to stick her foot into the boot. After a few moments, she was successful in both her tasks and she stood up straight in front of the mirror, pulling her skirt down as she turned to examine her back. “How do I look?" She asked without even glancing at the boy.   
  
Spike’s mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish out of water, but the words refused to come out as he simply gawked at the girl in front of him. He repressed a groan as he saw her lean into the mirror to apply her lipstick.   
  
Minutes later, she stood up straight once again, tugging at her miniskirt and flattening her top as she turned sideways to see herself on the mirror.   
  
“How’s the war-paint?" She asked, finally looking at him.   
  
Spike jumped up in surprise, snapping out of his daze to gaze up at her face.   
  
“What?" He managed to word.   
  
“The make-up. Is it ok?" She questioned, turning to the mirror and smacking her lips together.   
  
“It’s ok." He mumbled, his gaze returning to her exposed legs as she leaned over the dresser.   
  
At his statement, she immediately stood up straight.   
  
“Just ok?" She frowned.   
  
“You look gorgeous, luv." He corrected himself.   
  
“I better." She said with a light pout. “I wanna see Dru foaming from her mouth and Angel kicking himself unconscious for dumping me." She uttered devilishly as she picked up her coat and walked out of the room, quickly followed by Spike.   
  
She frowned as she finished locking the door and turned to see Spike walking over to a car parked in front of her house.   
  
“What’s this?"   
  
“My baby." He answered with a proud tone, opening the door for her.   
  
“You’re baby?" She questioned, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.   
  
“Yep."   
  
“Since when do you have a car?" She asked as she entered the vehicle.   
  
She waited till he was in before they continued their conversation.   
  
“I’ve had this baby for ages."   
  
“Then why don’t you drive it to school?" She questioned, but immediately raised her hand and continued: “Don’t answer. Stupid question. You’re ashamed to be seen in this junk."   
  
“Hey!" He protested. “This ‘junk’ is a classic."   
  
“Right. That’s why it’s about to fall to apart. Are you sure you don’t wanna just walk?"   
  
He gave her a plastic smile which crumbled in seconds as he started up the car.   
  
“I love this car. Don’t make fun of it. Consider yourself warned, pet." He grumbled as he drove off.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy stepped out of the vehicle and waited for Spike to lock it up before heading for the teen infested club. She stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the door.   
  
“What’s the matter, pet?" He asked, cocking up a scarred eyebrow.   
  
She didn’t answer, merely inhaled sharply, letting her chest rise and fall a couple of times before shaking herself off.   
  
“Do you always have to do that?" He asked as he remembered her doing that exact same exercise before their make-out session three days before.   
  
“I’m preparing myself for the battle." She replied, opening her eyes and walking into the Bronze.   
  
Spike simply shook his head and followed her.   
  
It didn’t take long for them to spot an extremely juiced up Willow practically jumping on her seat as she waved at the approaching couple. Cordelia and Xander sat around the small table, the former trying very hard to remain unnoticed by the crowd.   
  
“Hey, Buffy! You made it!" A very peppy Willow greeted as she threw her arms around the petite blonde’s neck.   
  
“Ah, Will… Need oxygen here." Buffy managed to breathe.   
  
“Oh, sorry!" Willow piped up, letting go of her.   
  
“She’s been like this for an hour now." Cordelia grumbled.   
  
Buffy smiled as she tried to reach for a stool but Spike was faster, pulling it out for her to sit. She frowned a bit, but said nothing, nodding and sitting down. She moved to take off her coat, and again, to her surprise, Spike was right there to help her with it. She swallowed hard and gave him a weak smile before turning to the group:   
  
“So… When’s it gonna start?" Buffy asked, scanning the room and realising the evil couple of death wasn’t there yet.   
  
“In half an hour." Willow quickly answered clapping her hands.   
  
“Half an hour? You said we were going to be late." Buffy protested glaring at the leather clad boy sitting next to her.   
  
“Was the only way to get you here on time, pet." He winced as Buffy’s heavy hand hit him in the arm. “Hey!"   
  
“That’s for lying." She grumbled.   
  
“You’re off easy, man." Xander spoke up. “You should see what happens to me when- Ouch!" He wasn’t able to finish his sentence as someone kicked him hard, under the table. “See what I mean." He murmured.   
  
Spike gave him a light sympathetic grin and turned to face Buffy.   
  
“You want something to drink, luv?"   
  
“Soda." She answered as her gaze hovered over the thick crowd.   
  
“Anyone else?"   
  
“I’m fine." Xander answered.   
  
“I wanna get out of here." Cordelia grumbled.   
  
Spike turned to look at Willow, but she seemed completely out of it. Without a word he headed for the bar.   
  
“Wow, the place is really packed, huh?" Buffy noted.   
  
“Yeah, isn’t it wonderful?" Willow squeaked bringing her hands together for another hysterical clapping session, but found it impossible as Cordelia held her tightly by her wrists.   
  
“You clap those hands one more time; I swear I’ll bite them off." The brunette threatened with a murderous glare.   
  
“Gee!" Willow’s eyes widened for a second as she pulled away from the cheerleader’s death-grip.   
  
“Why are you in an even worst mood that usual, Cordy?" Buffy asked.   
  
“Because Miss ‘I suffer from psychoneurotic hysteria’ here has been clapping her hands like the energizer bunny on speed for the past hour." Cordy grumbled.   
  
“Here you go." Spike said as he set the soda on the table.   
  
Buffy frowned as she saw the bottle he held in his hands.   
  
“You’re *not* planning on drinking that, are you?"   
  
“Why not?" He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the label.   
  
“You’ll get beer-breath." She answered.   
  
“So?" He questioned confused.   
  
“You’re not gonna get anywhere near me tonight if you drink that." She stated.   
  
“But-“   
  
She simply shook her head.   
  
“Bloody hell." He grumbled setting the beer down and sticking his hands into his pockets.   
  
“Whipped." Xander coughed, getting a glare from the peroxide teen as he fumbled with a red and white pack.   
  
“No smoking either." Buffy said, eyeing the cigarette box.   
  
“But, pet…"   
  
“No."   
  
“Bugger all." He snarled shoving the pack back in his pockets and before Xander could say anything he growled: “Sod off."   
  
Xander gave him a wicked grin, but refrained from making any comments, especially considering he wasn’t exactly a free man himself.   
  
“Where’s Oz?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“He’s backstage getting ready." Willow tried, but couldn’t help her jitteriness slipping into her voice. “I’m just so excited!" She went to bring her hands but managed to repress the impulse as Cordy shot her another one of her dagger spitting glares.   
  
Buffy smiled, bringing her drink to her lips as the conversation started up.   
  
“So, since when are you, Oz and bleach-boy over here soccer-buddies?" She asked tilting her head towards Spike.   
  
“Since Wednesday." Xander answered simply. “He asked us if we wanted to play after school. Soccer isn’t that bad actually."   
  
Buffy grinned glancing at the teen sitting next to her, his hand draped across the back of her stool.   
  
“I’m slowly exorcising you all from the evil that is American Football." He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.   
  
“But I still say American Football kicks ass." Xander piped up.   
  
“Give it time. You’ll come around." Spike said as his fingers idly began to play with the edge of Buffy’s top.   
  
“I gotta say I’m pro-soccer." Cordelia joined in on the conversation.   
  
“And another one sees the light! Halleluiah, my brothers!" Spike shouted lifting his arms up in the air, earning a series of glances from the surrounding tables.   
  
“Don’t. Ever. Try to do the American accent, Spike." Buffy mumbled as she cringed. “It’s just sad… and wrong. Oh, so wrong!" She mocked.   
  
“Ha, ha. Very funny luv." Spike said with fake enthusiasm as his fingers left her top to massage Buffy’s bare back.   
  
She froze for a second, her muscles contracting at the feel of his rough fingers lazily running up and down her spine, but she soon relaxed as the touch became familiar and even pleasant.   
  
The conversation went on for a few more minutes until the background music was turned off and the lights dimmed down to focus on the small stage at one end of the club.   
  
“Oh, my God! This is it!" Willow squealed while hysterically clapping her hands.   
  
“Someone *please* give this girl a Valium. For my sake." Cordy begged as a deep male voice was heard coming from the loud speakers:   
  
“Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for ‘Dingoes Ate my Baby’!"   
  
A roaring sound filled the packed club for a few moments before total silence came and then the first cords of the song were heard. A sharp light focused on the band and Oz finally came into view.   
  
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Oz!" Was all that Willow could say before bringing her hands to cover her mouth and just stare at her boyfriend on stage.   
  
The song played out for a while as the group sat around the table. Spike’s hand idly wandered over Buffy’s back and he held his breath as he felt her lean in against him. He froze for a second, but soon brought his arms around her slender form, bringing her closer to him; her head resting on his chest. He closed his eyes for a split second, inhaling her vanilla scent and letting it seep into his brain. God she smelled wonderfully! When the song finally finished, she stood up straight and clapped noisily, along with a very enthusiastic Willow and a moody Cordy. Xander on the other hand, brought his index fingers to his mouth and issued a loud whistle that seemed to pierce the eardrums of everyone around him… including Cordelia. This earned him another strong kick in the shin.   
  
“Ouch!" He protested as he massaged his sore leg.   
  
Spike remained oblivious to his surrounding, for as soon as the music started once more, Buffy leaned back against him in the same fashion she had done moments before. He didn’t know why, but this seemed so… right. He sighed as his arms circled around her once again and he fingered the edge of her top.   
  
The next song was a slow, rock ballad and as a few couples moved to the dance floor, Buffy turned to ask Spike:   
  
“Wanna dance?"   
  
“Sure, pet." He quickly answered standing up and setting her coat on his stool before leading her to join the dancing couples.   
  
As they reached the dance floor, they came to a dilemma as they awkwardly tried to drape their arms around each other. Eventually, Spike took the lead, worming his arms around her and pulling her towards him as she rested her head over his right shoulder.   
  
A few seconds passed before he heard her whisper:   
  
“Have they seen us yet?"   
  
“What?" He asked frowning.   
  
“Dru and Angel." She insisted and suddenly he realised she was eyeing someone across the room.   
  
He glanced in the same direction to find the infamous couple having a major make-out session.   
  
“Oh." He mumbled as he felt a pang in his chest. He couldn’t quite tell if it was due to the pathetic spectacle displayed in front of him or because of the realisation that the girl in his arms had only reciprocated his tender behaviour as part of a façade. He feared it was the latter.   
  
“So are they looking?" She asked anxiously.   
  
“Hum… I don’t think so. Angel’s too busy sticking his tongue down my ex’s throat to notice us." He answered as he felt revulsion start to boil up in the pit of his stomach.   
  
“Damn it." She grumbled as she reluctantly moved along with the song’s sluggish beat. “Well, we’ll just have to *make* them notice." She murmured, slowly turning in his arms, so her back was resting on his chest.   
  
Lazily, her hands grazed over his, making their way from her hips to his shoulders and then across his neck to finally hover in the air above her head. She swayed her hips in small elliptic motions, in time with the slow, soothing rhythm, flexing and stretching her legs to move up and down his body.   
  
Spike closed his eyes, clenching his teeth together, making his sharp chiselled cheekbones more evident, as he searched for the control necessary to keep himself from grabbing her and pinning her against the nearest available hard surface.   
  
Unaware of his reactions, she continued to dance, her eyes closed as she leaned the back of her head on his chest, her blonde hair clinging to the black leather of his duster. She slowly turned to face Spike, managing to throw a quick glance at the couple that stood in the shadows. A soft, triumphant smile curled the edges of her glossy lips as she saw the dumbfounded expression plastered on both their faces. Burying her cheek in Spike’s red shirt, she inhaled sharply. She shook her head, trying to escape the haze that seemed to surround her suddenly. Her stomach started doing those flip-flopping it did whenever she got too close to him. ‘What is this? It shouldn’t feel this way. It’s just… pretend.’ She reminded herself before looking upwards, her nose gliding across his pale, white throat before her lips connected with the sensitive skin there.   
  
Spike gasped as he felt her teeth scrape over his neck on their way to capture his right earlobe. He heard her whisper as she nibbled and suckled the tender piece of flesh into her warm mouth.   
  
“I guess…" kiss “we caught" lick “their attention."   
  
He felt her smile against his ear and it took him a couple of seconds to come up with a relatively coherent answer.   
  
“Um…" He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down a couple of times. “Yeah… I guess."   
  
“Are they still looking?" She breathed as she tried to ignore her galloping heartbeat.   
  
His scent seemed to intoxicate her as she trailed butterfly kissed down his throat and nuzzled against the crook of his neck. Her hands developed a mind of their own as they snaked down to his waist and wormed their way under his shirt to caress his bare stomach.   
  
Instinctively, he jolted up straight, his hand catching her wrist.   
  
“Luv… what are you… doing?" He managed to ask between gaps.   
  
“Making…" She kissed his neck. “them jealous?" She lied to herself. ‘It’s all part of the plan. Just a plan.’   
  
Spike swallowed hard, once again, his eyes rolling back in their sockets as her tongue traced secret patterns over his neck, her body crushed against his.   
  
“Is it… working?"   
  
He was too lost in the sensation to even hear what she was saying. After a while, he felt her whisper against his skin.   
  
“Spike… are they still watching?"   
  
He shook himself out of his daze and glanced at the couple to find them… fighting? He watched as much as he could under hooded eyes as the dark haired girl waved her hands in the air, and from the veins sticking out in her throat, he was pretty sure she was screaming at the top of her lungs.   
  
“They’re… fighting."   
  
He was distracted as Buffy pressed her body against his and her hands travelled over his chest, instinct and craving causing him to close his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them again, Dru was gone and only Angel remained, leaning against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest and a seriously pissed look plastered on his face.   
  
“What…" Buffy cleared her throat as her breath came in short, urgent pants, making it hard to speak. “… are they doing now?"   
  
He pondered for a few seconds whether or not to tell her the truth. His mind struggled to understand why the thought of her stopping her ministrations made his stomach turn.   
  
In the meantime, Buffy kicked herself mentally as she found herself wishing Dru and Angel were still there, watching them.   
  
“Spike… are they still looking?" She insisted, her mouth still teasing and nibbling at his earlobe. ‘God! He tastes so… Urg! Stop it!’ She screamed inwardly.   
  
In a fraction of a second he made up his mind and, without a word, he nodded slightly and she continued to kiss him. His hands circled her small waist and gruffly brought her closer to him as he captured her lips with his. She let out a soft moan as his tongue plundered her mouth with ravenous urgency.   
  
Her mind seemed to spiral into a dreamy state of consciousness, that place where you feel lighter than air, like you can just hover. The feel of his hands erratically running up and down her back, pulling her to his chest…   
  
Buffy jolted away from him as a loud clapping sound vibrated through the entire room. It took a few seconds, for the blonde couple to realise that there was no music, Oz’s band had just finished their set and were now stepping down from the stage. The two awkwardly eyed each other, both pulling sharp pants from their lungs as reality dawned on them. She felt her heart violently slamming against her chest, a mixture of lust, nervousness and fear causing it to skip a few beats as she dropped her gaze to the floor.   
  
“I gotta go to the bathroom." She finally blurted out as the uneasiness between them became too unbearable.   
  
Before he could say anything, she had turned on her heels and was currently scurrying her way to the ladies’ room.   
  
~+~   
  
She stared wide-eyed at her reflection in the mirror while a couple of giggling teenagers stood in the corner exchanging gossip. She knew them, from high school; two of Harmony’s brain deprived lackeys. She knew they were talking about the R rated show she and Spike had just given them a few minutes before, but she didn’t care. Right now she was more worried that her heart wouldn’t stop racing, her palms were sweaty and she couldn’t stop thinking about the annoying bleach-boy on the other side of the bathroom door. What was this all about? She wasn’t supposed to be having major erotic dreams with him, or be acting like a fourteen-year old girl with a crush every time he touched her.   
  
She shook her head and ran her hand over her forehead as if to try to erase the images that kept flashing in front of her eyes. Taking a deep breath and adjusting her top, she turned to leave.   
  
An instant cloud of smoke surrounded her as she re-entered the bar, causing her to have a mini coughing fit. When she calmed, she resumed walking, her eyes scanning over the crowed to find the familiar blonde. She felt her heart skip a beat, her entire body contract at the sight of him talking to… Dru?   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;)   
  
Chapter 18   
  
Anger started to boil up in her veins as she watched the black-clad girl bluntly make her move on *her* Spike. All she felt like doing was striding over to her and ringing her neck until it snapped in two while screaming off at the top of her lungs: GET AWAY FROM MY BOYFRIEND! Yeah, that would teach her.   
  
Then, suddenly, she realised: ‘He’s not my boyfriend. This is all a trick to get them back together’ she reminded herself as she watched Dru suggestively run her index finger over the lapels of Spike’s duster. Buffy had to inhale deeply to force the blood rage down. ‘And apparently it’s working. Good for him.’ She closed her eyes, shaking herself off before she resumed walking towards Willow, Xander and Oz who sat around a table.   
  
“Hey, Oz!" Buffy said with fake enthusiasm.   
  
The redhead simply nodded and gave her his version of a smile, which was pretty close to anyone else’s idea of a non-smile.   
  
“Loved the show! You guys did great!" She continued.   
  
“I’m amazed you saw anything, considering the major grope fest you and Spike put up on the dance floor." Cordy mumbled. Never giving a chance for Buffy to answer she turned to Xander and whined: “I’m thirsty."   
  
Unfortunately, her boyfriend didn’t seem to be taught in the fine art of subtlety so she let out a loud grown before uttering:   
  
“Xander, get me a soda."   
  
“Huh…? Oh, ok." He said as he clumsily got off the stool. “You guys want anything?"   
  
Everyone shook their heads except for Buffy who spoke up:   
  
“A Daiquiri."   
  
Xander froze and everyone in the table turned to look at her.   
  
“Are you sure?" Willow asked.   
  
“Buffy you know how you get when you drink alcohol." Xander muttered.   
  
“Plus it’s illegal." Willow piped up nervous and wide-eyed, sticking her index finger into the air.   
  
“All the more reasons to do it." Buffy said with a smile. “Come on Xander, I know you know the bartender tonight. Please, for me…" She begged, with a pout and batting her eyes lashes at him.   
  
He couldn’t resist it. Somehow, after all those year of knowing her and working on getting over his crush on her, he still couldn’t say no to her when she asked him something. So he turned around and headed for the bar to make his order. Soon after he was back with a soda and a colourful glass with an umbrella sticking out of it in his hand.   
  
“What about your no alcohol policy?" Cordy snorted as she saw Buffy tilting the glass into her mouth, taking huge gulps of the liquid inside.   
  
“To hell with it." She answered with a peppy smile before letting out a small hiccup. “Oops." She giggled; placing her hand over her lips as her cheeks quickly became red.   
  
“In my entire life, I have never seen alcohol have such a fast effect on anyone as her. You should be in the Guinness Book of Records." Xander pointed out as he took his seat.   
  
~+~   
  
Spike ran his hand through his hair, trying hard to focus on what the girl standing in front of him was saying. He didn’t know why, but suddenly, Dru’s conversation just seemed plain and dull. Her half nutty routine he used to find gripping and enthralling now just seemed plain loony and boring. Pretty soon, he found her voice growing farther and farther away until it died out, being completely engulfed by the buzzing sound of the background. All he saw was a girl looking at him with hooded, pseudo-seductive gaze, moving her mouth in an excruciatingly slow pace.   
  
“Huh?" He blinked a couple of times when he noticed she had stopped talking.   
  
“I asked if you were going to the homecoming dance." She repeated as she brought her body closer to him, her arms circling around his neck.   
  
He instinctively took a step back, but she held a tight grip on him.   
  
“I-I don’t know, Dru." He answered as his eyes scanned the room for a certain blonde. ‘Where is she? What is taking her so long?’ He kept asking himself.   
  
“I thought you hated that sort of thing. Said it was boring and…" She brought her lips closer to his ear as she whispered: “I’m sure we can find more interesting things to do. Couldn’t we, daddy?" She growled at the end of her question and ran her tongue over his earlobe.   
  
“Um… Dru… What are you doing?" Spike asked, never moving, neither cheering nor discouraging her actions.   
  
“What do you think? Grrr… You’ve been a very bad boy, going around playing with that little girly. Mommy doesn’t like it." She said in a childlike tone, as her lower lip jutted out for a pout.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy’s eyes grew wide and she felt every single muscle fibre in her body contract at the sight of Dru curling her arms around Spike and licking his ear. Without a word she tilted the glass again and drank from it.   
  
“Buffy, you shouldn’t be doing this." Willow warned a bit concerned.   
  
“And why not?" For some reason her words were coming out a bit slurred. Buffy smacked her lips together as if trying to get her tongue to untie.   
  
“Because pretty soon you’ll lose all ability for coherent speech and you can’t go home to your mom like that." Willow tried to rationalise.   
  
“My mom’s not coming home. She’s gonna stay out all night boinking some stranger." She pressed her lips together and nodded wildly, her hair coming to partially cover her flushed face.   
  
“Oh, Buffy." Willow’s eyebrows came together over the bridge of her nose as she watched the pain in her best friend’s eyes. So that’s why she was acting so strange. “Don’t you think we better get you home?"   
  
At that Buffy violently shook her head, causing her hair to fan out around her.   
  
“I like it ‘ere." She mumbled. “It’s nice in ‘ere." Her face lit up as she remembered something. “I get everything for free." Singsonged and a wave of childlike giggles followed while Willow simply frowned in confusion.   
  
Oz soon came to her aid:   
  
“It’s the lyrics from one of K’s Choice’s songs."   
  
“Oh." Willow raised her eyebrows for a second as realisation came.   
  
~+~   
  
Spike felt like he was suffocating. He couldn’t breathe. She was too close, clinging to him, making him feel like there was no room, not enough space. He just needed space. And to know where she… His eyes widened and a small sigh of relief escaped his lips as he saw her. She was sitting around the table with Oz and the rest of the gang. Well, it was more of a slouching over the table and occasionally standing up straight to wave her arms in the air like a mad woman sort of routine than actually sitting but, he’d found her. Dru continued to stick to him as she yapped on and on, while he absentmindedly watched the effusive blonde girl giggle and shout like a little girl. What was she holding in her hand? What was…   
  
“Bloody hell…" He breathed. “Hum… Dru?" He began trying to pull himself out of the girl’s death grip, but it turned out to be a Herculean task. “Dru… Luv… Let go now." She wouldn’t let go. “Dru!" He finally shouted and she stepped back; a look of amazement and pain on her face. “Look, pet, I’m sorry, but I gotta go."   
  
And he was off crossing the room with ground-eating footsteps until he reached his destination.   
  
“Spike! Thank God you’re here." Willow breathed in relief.   
  
“What’s going on?" He questioned with a frown, looking at Buffy who now seemed to be sleeping with her head resting on the table, her arms dangling to the floor at her side. The moment he reached for her, she jumped up to attention.   
  
“Hum… what? Where? Oh… Spike." She drooled the words out as she plastered on a goofy smile. “The reunification didn’t go well? Do we need to pretend a bit more?"   
  
Everyone around the table frowned, except for Spike, whose heart immediately jumped to his throat. He tried to ignore her questions and turned to face Willow.   
  
“How many of these did she have?"   
  
“Just that one." The redhead pointed at the empty glass.   
  
“And she’s drunk?" Spike asked in disbelief.   
  
“Buffy’s body is not very alcohol-friendly." Oz piped up.   
  
“I can see that. Come on, luv, let’s get you home." Spike said picking up her coat and putting it over her shoulders.   
  
“What? So soon? I thought you’d want to stay and work on the plan and-“   
  
“Alright, you need to go home… Now!" He noted, bringing his arms around her numb form and pulling her to her feet.   
  
The moment he made a move to let her go, she began tumbling to the floor, but he quickly grabbed a hold on her and lifted her off her feet.   
  
“Are you sure you can take her?" Xander asked.   
  
“I’m fine, mate. See you later." He answered as he made his way out of the busy club.   
  
~+~   
  
As they reached the car, consciousness seemed to dawn on Buffy. Her stomach turned as she felt herself being carried. She opened her eyes to meet black leather. Blinking a couple of times her gaze focussed on Spike’s face.   
  
“We’re here, luv." He said as he lowered her to the ground.   
  
She stumbled a bit, but eventually was able keep standing long enough for Spike to open the car door for her. With a loud sigh she plopped down on the front seat; her legs still sticking out of the vehicle. Spike shook his head as he picked her feet up and pushed them into the car before closing the door.   
  
They remained silent most of the drive home, with Spike occasionally throwing a worried glance at the slumbering blonde sitting next to him. He smiled as he heard her mumble something incomprehensible, while frowning and making a series of odd faces. She was just so strange.   
  
Coming to a full stop in front of her house, he turned and gently ran his fingers over her exposed shoulder.   
  
“Pet… we’re home."   
  
“Hum…" She grumbled opening her eyes and glancing up at him with a glassy stare. She swallowed dryly before looking around and frowning. “Where are we?"   
  
“Home. Remember?" He answered with a soft smile before exiting the car to open the door for her.   
  
He held out his hand and Buffy stared at it. The fresh images of what had happened at the Bronze flashed before her eyes – Dru… and him… snuggling. She felt her stomach turn and something inside her snapped. She stood up abruptly; dismissing his outstretched hand and trying to walk proudly over to her front porch. The task seemed simple enough, except her alcohol soaked brain seemed to have something to say about it and pretty soon she was sprawled out on the grass, face down.   
  
“Buffy!" He called out, slamming the car door shut and coming to her aid, but as soon as he made a move to help her up, she pushed him away and scrambled to her feet.   
  
“I’m fine." She retorted.   
  
“You’re drunk, luv." He stated the obvious as he watched her zigzag her way to the front door eventually reaching her destination. Now… sticking the itsy bitsy key into that stupid lock… that was a serious mission.   
  
She grumbled a string of curses as she scratched at the wooden door but was never able to get the key into the lock.   
  
“Stupid lock." She moaned letting the key fall to the floor. “Keeps moving. Stand still, damn it!" She ordered with a serious tone as she bent down to pick up her key.   
  
Spike had to repress a growl as her miniskirt hitched up at her motion, exposing her thighs to him.   
  
“Let me get that, pet." He immediately shook himself out of his daze snatching the key from her hands and quickly opening the door before she could say anything. He entered the room while she stood in the threshold for a few more seconds.   
  
“I could’ve done it." She mumbled as she walked into the hall.   
  
Clumsily, she tried to take off her coat, pushing at pulling at it, to no avail.   
  
“Here, let me get that." He made a move towards her and she jumped back.   
  
“No! I’ll do it." She insisted as she glared daggers at him.   
  
“Are you ok?" He questioned raising a scarred eyebrow.   
  
“I’m…" She struggled with the piece of clothing; it seemed like a straight-jacket. “Stupid… A-ha!" She said triumphantly as she found herself free from her restraints, letting the coat drop to the floor. She nervously pulled her hair out of the way and looked up at him with an arrogant sparkle in her eyes and a defiant little chin jutting out. “I’m fine."   
  
She crisscrossed her way to the living room and thanked whatever gods there were that the couch was right there.   
  
“Good couch, nice couch." She sighed, plopping down on it and caressing it.   
  
“Buffy, you need to go to bed." Spike explained coming to sit next to her.   
  
She instantly jumped away from him, sitting on the opposite side of the couch.   
  
“Don’t tell me what to do." She growled.   
  
“Are you mad at me?" He finally asked.   
  
“Mad? I’m not made. I’m just…" She couldn’t find an explanation so she resorted for the feeblest of excuses. “You’re annoying and I don’t like you."   
  
Spike gave her a weak smile and they remained in an awkward silence for a few moments.   
  
“So… Can we stop the plan already?" Buffy suddenly blurted out.   
  
“What?"   
  
“You and Dru are back together, right? We can quit pretending." She tried to seem as unfazed as possible by the topic of conversation and was pretty successful in her attempt.   
  
Her questions took him by surprise. It was true, Dru had come back to him, or at least was drooling all over him again, which was a positive sign, but they weren’t together yet.   
  
“Me and Dru aren’t together." Spike explained.   
  
“Right, cause the whole bumping and grinding on the dance floor is just soooo normal amongst ex’s." Buffy snarled, clumsily standing and making her way to the kitchen.   
  
“We weren’t bumping and grinding." He protested as he followed her.   
  
“Whatever…" She said uninterested as she opened the various cabinets in the kitchen.   
  
“We were just…" He stopped, looking for the right word.   
  
“Dry humping on the dance floor?" Buffy offered with a hint of anger.   
  
“I-“   
  
“I don’t care Spike. You got what you wanted, Dru pawing all over you. Now can we please put an end to the stupid farce?" She asked raising her eyebrows as she found what she was looking for.   
  
She reached for the bottle and took out the cork before quickly taking a big gulp from its content.   
  
“What are you doing?!" He questioned as he grabbed the bottle from her hands. He turned it in his hands to read the label. “What is it with you and alcohol all of a sudden? I thought you hated this stuff."   
  
“Not anymore." She grumbled snatching the bottle back from his hands and drinking from it.   
  
Spike made a move to retrieve the object, but she clenched it against her chest as if clinging to dear life itself.   
  
“It’s mine." She grumbled, frowning and pouting at the same time.   
  
God, she looked to cute, flushed and… angry? She was angry. Why was she…   
  
“Are you jealous, pet?" He asked with a cocky smirk as realisation came to him.   
  
Her eyes instantly widened as if he had said the greatest of blasphemies. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of time before she was able to stutter:   
  
“J-jealous? Me? Jealous? Of what?"   
  
“Of me and Dru." He continued with that annoying smirk on his lips. Oh, how she hated that stupid smirk.   
  
“Dream on, Brit-boy." She snarled, gulping from the bottle.   
  
“You’re jealous…" He singsonged.   
  
“And you’ve lost it pal." She drooled out.   
  
He smiled and tilted his head sideways as he came closer to her.   
  
“Just admit it, luv. You’re jealous… It’s only normal. I mean, being so close to me these last few days… touching… kissing…" He had to stop to take in some air as his own words started to bring back the memories of the past week.   
  
Buffy stepped back and he continued to close the distance between them until she felt the edge of the kitchen counter rub against her back. She stared up at him and felt her heart race as he set both hands on counter on either side of her, successfully trapping her.   
  
“Admit that you felt jealous when you saw me and… Dru-“   
  
The simple mention of her name made her skin curl and gave her renewed strength. She quickly pushed him away and stepped away from the counter.   
  
“You’re full of yourself, you know that? I would never, ever feel jealous of you. What I don’t want is for people in school to think that my current boyfriend is going behind my back to boink that skanky ho. Again!" She managed to word out even though the room seemed to start turning around her.   
  
“That’s your problem?"   
  
“You bet it is. Everyone at the Bronze saw you and her doing… whatever you were doing and I don’t really care. Except that everyone thinks that you’re my boyfriend and I so don’t need the entire student body to give me the pity look. I had enough of it last time. So you know what, Spike? This whole arrangement we had going? “ She pointed at herself and then at him. “It’s over."   
  
“But-“ A hint of desperation started to build up inside of him.   
  
“No buts, you wanted Dru back, you’ve got her." She snarled.   
  
“I don’t have her back." He answered without thinking and Buffy felt her blood start to boil.   
  
“I don’t care! That’s your problem; I’m not going to be made the fool. Forget it." She yelled as she tried to turn on her heels, but suddenly she seemed to lose all balance and stumbled to the floor.   
  
With instant reflexes, he was able to grab her before she fell. His arms kept a tight grip around her waist crushing her against his chest; the bottle of wine, still in her hand, spilling against his shirt at the abrupt movement.   
  
“Are you ok?" True concern echoed in his voice.   
  
She shook her head slightly, closing her eyes for a brief second and then scrambled away from him.   
  
“I’m fine." She insisted, trying to keep her distance.   
  
“Look, Buffy… I didn’t mean to… Dru was just there…"   
  
“I don’t want to hear it. I told you, I’m out." She insisted as the anger returned in full force at the mention of the black-clad teen.   
  
“But-“   
  
“Just leave, Spike!" She yelled slamming the bottle on the nearest available surface.   
  
“I-“   
  
“I’m not gonna continue this stupid charade just because your ex is playing hard to get. Get someone else to do it, cause I’m tired of it."   
  
“I didn’t do anything." He insisted raising his voice.   
  
“You were practically doing it on the dance floor!" She cried out as she waved her hands in front of her.   
  
“We were just dancing."   
  
“Ok, next time, I’ll ‘dance’ with Angel like that, see how it makes *you* feel."   
  
Buffy never knew what hit her. She was being slammed against the refrigerator, Spike’s angered body crashed against hers as her hands were pinned at her side, near her shoulders.   
  
“You don’t go near him." He hissed.   
  
“Or what?" She said breathless with a cocky tone, but deep inside she felt her heart skip a few beats as she felt his left leg pushed between hers. “You’re gonna do what?"   
  
“Stay away from him." He warned her as anger flashed in his eyes.   
  
“You know what? I think I’ll go over there right now. I still look kinda cute, I doubt that Angel would say no." She grinned as she made a move to leave, but he tightened his grip around her wrists.   
  
“Don’t…" He growled.   
  
Raising her chin and looking up at him she asked:   
  
“Don’t what? You gonna stop me?"   
  
“Damn right I am." His voice was low and filled with rage.   
  
“Doesn’t feel good when you’re on the other side, does it… William?" She mocked cocking up a perfectly shaped eyebrow as she instinctively rubbed her pelvis against his. Her grin crumbled in a flash, eyes widened for a second as she felt something hard pressing against her lower abdomen and before she could say anything else he smashed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss.   
  
Caught by surprise, Buffy let out a muffled cry as his tongue pushed its way into her mouth, forcing it open. She struggled for breath as his hands let go of her wrists and started to frantically move over her entire body, pulling and pushing at her clothes as he thrust his hips into hers. She felt his fingers finally settle under her thighs, gripping them and pulling her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Her arms came to drape around his neck, pulling him closer as she tilted her head to deepen the urgent kiss. They’re tongues battled for dominance, a series of hungry moans escaping the two as they erratically tugged at each other.   
  
She felt him move, effortlessly carrying her with him. He settled her over the counter and stretched his hand over the cold surface, sending its contents to the floor. Buffy ignored the crashing noises as Spike spread her over the counter, his body coming to hover over hers as they never stopped kissing.   
  
Her small trembling fingers curled around the lapels of his duster, pulling at it until it was scattered on the floor. Her hands ran through his dishevelled hair and she wrapped her legs around his hips, drawing him closer as she continued to hungrily kiss him. She gasped as she felt his fingers slide over the outside of her thighs pushing her miniskirt higher, until it was bunched up around her waist.   
  
He pressed hard against her, forcing her to lay back down, while her legs dangled off the counter. His lips left hers to trace ravenous trails down her neck, over her collarbone and down between her breasts where he nuzzled his face, taking in her scent.   
  
“God…" He heard her mutter.   
  
He looked up to find her head thrown back, her neck exposed, her cheeks flushed; her breath coming in rapid urgent pants. He stared blindly at her when a sharp ringing sound pierced through their combined haze. She immediately looked up.   
  
“What…?" Her gaze alternated between the phone and the breathless boy still trapped between her legs.   
  
She felt her heart race as realisation came to her. Without a word, she pushed him out of the way, jumped off the counter and ran to the phone picking it up.   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 19   
  
She nervously tugged at her miniskirt, pulling it downwards as she picked up the receiver.   
  
“Hello? Oh, hi!" There was silence for a few seconds, her fingers tensely twirling around the cord while she walked around in circles next to the phone.   
  
Spike leaned on the counter, his heart still racing, watching her from under an apprehensive frown as he listened in on the conversation, trying to discern who was on the other side of the line. He anxiously tapped his fingers on the white surface; his gaze followed her closely while the memories of what had just happened flashed before his eyes. ‘What was that all about?’ he continuously asked himself. ‘Why did I…’ He couldn’t understand, but the simple thought of her being anywhere near Angel, having him touch her… just made his stomach turn, his skin curl; the way she had mocked him… He stood up straight as she started to speak into the receiver after the long pause.   
  
“Ok, then… No, I’m fine. Don’t worry. Bye." She waited a few moments, her mind racing as she finally set the phone down.   
  
She really didn’t want to deal with this now, not with this or with… She finally turned to see Spike, standing by the counter an anxious look on his face. ‘God, what did I do?’ She asked herself as she swallowed hard and re-entered the tiled room. An awkward moment of silence thickened the air between them, making it hard to breathe. Buffy’s gaze erratically flew all over the place, trying to avoid meeting Spike’s eyes and finally found what looked like her salvation – the bottle of wine. In a flash, she reached for it and turning on her heels headed for the living room.   
  
A stunned black-clad teen soon followed her to find her sitting on the couch taking a long gulp from the bottle.   
  
“Hum… Buffy?" He started.   
  
She wouldn’t look at him. Reaching for the remote, she turned on the TV and found her new source of distraction.   
  
“Buffy…" He called again and this time she was forced to look up.   
  
Her eyes were flooded in a dazed sparkle, giving them a glassy drunken aspect.   
  
“Yeah?" She drooled.   
  
He didn’t know what to do. Was he supposed to say something about the scorching grope fest in the kitchen or was he just supposed to ignore it? Judging from the scared look on her face, he assumed she’d prefer the latter. Slowly, he moved to the couch and sat down.   
  
“So… who was that?"   
  
Buffy felt something tug at her heart at his question. ‘So the plan is to ignore what just happened?’ She asked herself.   
  
“Hum…" She struggled with the words as the alcohol started swimming around in her brain. “My mom." She answered, turning back to the TV. ‘You want to ignore it? Fine, I’ll ignore it.’ She shouted in her mind as the anger started brewing in her stomach.   
  
“She went out tonight?" Spike asked as he noticed for the first time Mrs. Summers’ absence from the household.   
  
Buffy nodded and refused to speak as she took another gulp from the bottle.   
  
“She called to check up on you, huh?" He continued to question. Someone had to make conversation, because he sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to stay alone in a room with her in silence.   
  
Another mindless nod, followed by a long gulp from the bottle.   
  
“You’re out on the piss tonight aren’t you?" He asked with a hint of anger in his voice.   
  
At this she frowned and looked at him.   
  
“You’re trying to get drunk, aren’t you?"   
  
“You think?" She said cocking up her eyebrow and returning her attention to the television set.   
  
“Luv, you really shouldn’t be drinking like this. You’re not used to it." He tried to warn her.   
  
Her answer came as she tilted the bottle once again and swallowed a few more gulps of its content. Angrily, he reached for the green bottle and yanked it out of her hands. She immediately jumped up in protest, her arms waving it the air as she tried to retrieve it.   
  
“Hey, give it back. It’s…" She began to stand up, to try and catch up to him and suddenly the entire room started to circle around her. She blinked a couple of times and then dropped like a stone on the couch, clinging to her aching head. “Oh… oh…. This is not good… Why is the whole room moving?" She asked with a liquid voice as she tried to focus on something but failed.   
  
“Because you’re completely sloshed." He answered as he set the bottle down on the coffee table and came down to sit next to her once more.   
  
His hands settled on each side of her head, under her ears, framing her flushed face as he watched her blink wildly and cringe.   
  
“I don’t like this." She whined.   
  
“It’s gonna be ok. You just need some coffee." He explained as he moved to leave the room.   
  
Her fingers instantly curled around his duster, pulling him to her.   
  
“No! Don’t! Don’t leave me!" She begged panicky.   
  
“I’ll be right back I’m just going to the kitchen to get you some…"   
  
He trailed off as he watched her vehemently shake her head.   
  
“No. I don’t wanna be alone. This is…" She stopped in mid sentence as she felt something quickly crawl its way up her oesophagus. “Oh, I think I’m gonna be-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as her mouth went wide open and she vomited all over Spike.   
  
The Brit froze when he saw the greenish slobber plastered all over his favourite piece of clothing. The anger and disgust soon disappeared as he saw the distraught look on the petite blonde’s face.   
  
“Oh God, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!" She begged, her hand resting on her mouth.   
  
“It’s ok, it’s ok." He lied as he quickly took off his duster and balled it up so that the vomit wouldn’t spread to the couch.   
  
He let out a sigh as he saw the stains on his shirt and without another thought quickly discarded it too, leaving him in a black t-shirt and equally black jeans. His attention was back on Buffy, who was now sprawled on the couch; her facial muscles cringed up in a painful expression. His arms circled around her slender form and carried as he walked up the stairs. He stood in the corridor for a few seconds, debating over which door lead to the bathroom. He followed his most logical guess and chose the door at the end of the hall.   
  
He opened it and after some struggling managed to find the light switch. The room lit up to reveal the white tiled bathroom.   
  
“Luv…" He called her.   
  
“Hum... She mumbled semi-conscious.   
  
“You’ve got to hold onto me so I can get you cleaned up."   
  
She nodded and flung her arm around his neck, partially supporting herself as he turned on the faucet. Buffy jumped up as the cool water splashed against her face, causing her to cough a bit. She soon calmed down and he was able to run his wet hand over her mouth and cheeks, in an attempt to get her cleaned. His fingers slowly managed to get most of the green coloured vomit off her face and then proceeded with washing her neck. After a few minutes she was clean and he could tell that she was a bit more awake as she started to mumble something incomprehensible.   
  
“You’ll be fine." He reassured her.   
  
But she continued to murmur something and soon tears began to thread down her flushed cheeks.   
  
“Oh, God please don’t cry…" He begged awkwardly as he set her down on the toilet.   
  
But she wouldn’t indulge him as she rested her head in her hands and suddenly burst out in loud and painful crying session.   
  
“Please… don’t… I can’t stand to see girls… Please…" As he kneeled down beside her his hands suddenly seemed nothing more than embarrassing appendages as he struggled to figure out where to put them. They hovered over her shoulders, her arms, her legs and back up to her hair to finally awkwardly tap her on the head, in a typically male version of a comforting caress.   
  
“Why…" Hiccup “ are you" hiccup “hitting meeeee?" She whined in a babyish tone, looking down on him with blood-shot eyes.   
  
“I-I…" He tried to explain, but it was no use as she returned to her crying. “Luv… wha-what’s wrong?" He asked, deciding it was best not to touch her at all.   
  
“Everythiiiiing." She bellowed.   
  
“Oh, come on… It can’t be that-“   
  
“My mom is boinking an idiot." She whined as another onslaught of tears took over.   
  
Taken by surprise, it took a few seconds for Spike to react, but eventually he managed to stutter:   
  
“Sh-she’s going out on a date, that doesn’t mean she’s…" He made a face as the mental picture flashed before his eyes causing his facial muscles to contract. “… boinking anyone."   
  
“Yes, she is." She insisted between hiccups and snivels. “She was wearing make up."   
  
His scarred eyebrow cocked up as he thought: ‘And…?’   
  
“And she just called saying she was going to be very late and-and…" She inhaled sharply as the tears continued to travel down her face. “…and she said if I needed anything for lunch tomorrow I could just order pizzaaaaaaa." And once more she was down the path of loud howls and incessant moans.   
  
“Oh…" He noted giving her a sorry look. “Well… M-my da has been going out on a lot of dates too lately… it-it’s only natural for divorced or widowed grown-ups to… you know…" He had to swallow hard to stop himself from heaving at the idea of his father ever having sex.   
  
“Not my mom!" She bellowed, covering her face with her hands as she burst into tears.   
  
“Hum… pet… please… just calm down… it’s…" It was no use, she wouldn’t stop.   
  
Awkwardly, he straightened up, still on his knees and brought his arms around her, giving her a light tap on her back.   
  
“There, there…" He murmured uncomfortably. God, he hated seeing women cry.   
  
Slowly, she relaxed in his arms and eventually slumped off the toilet to sit on the floor, still wrapped up in his arms, her moist face buried in his t-shirt. He heard her mumble and snivel as she wiped her eyes and nose on the black fabric.   
  
“Go ahead… It’s not my favourite anyway." He spurred her on as he ran his hand over her hair.   
  
“My…"   
  
“What’s that, luv?" He asked pulling her to look up at him.   
  
They stared at each other for a few seconds before she burst out.   
  
“My mom is having sex… Buaaaa!" And her face was once again buried in his chest.   
  
“It’s ok… It’s gonna be fine." He reassured her. “It’s normal. You knew this would eventually-“   
  
“No!" She suddenly, sat up straight. “You’re not listening!"   
  
“Tell me then."   
  
“My mom is having sex…" She paused as she tried to push back the tears and finally burst out: “… And I’m not!" She protested with a loud cry as she continued to sob uncontrollably.   
  
“Oh!" The bleached teen raised his eyebrows at the realisation as her face fell with a dull thud against his chest.   
  
She cried and sniffed for a while longer, until she calmed down and was able to slowly sit up straight; her hands coming to wipe away the tears. They sat in silence, till Buffy broke it with a ghostly whisper:   
  
“Am I repulsive?"   
  
“What?!" He asked amazed.   
  
“Am I repulsive?" She repeated.   
  
“Of course not. What… Why would you say that?"   
  
“Then why… doesn’t Angel… want me anymore?" She managed to blurt out between sniffs and hiccups.   
  
“Cause he’s an idiot." Was Spike’s direct response as his hands came to push her hair behind her ear.   
  
She seemed calmer, but suddenly, her expression changed, turning hard and cold.   
  
“What do you know?" She grumbled as she stumbled to her feet and zigzagged her way down the hall.   
  
“What do you mean?" He asked as he quickly followed her into her room.   
  
He jumped back a little as she unexpectedly turned on her heels and faced him.   
  
“You’re obsessed with that skinny vapid ho too." She snapped.   
  
At his confused expression she continued:   
  
“All of a sudden every guy seems to be head over heels for that black haired witch." She waved her arms in the air. “What does she have that I don’t?"   
  
Spike tilted his head and gave her light smile.   
  
“You’re jealous of Dru?"   
  
“I. Am. Not. Jealous of that skanky ho!" She insisted, crossing her arms over her chest and flopping onto the edge of her bed.   
  
Soon, her pout grew and, as the alcohol continued to heighten her emotions, she restarted crying.   
  
“Luv… Come on… Not again." He begged falling on his knees in front of her.   
  
“Why doesn’t Angel want me anymore?" She whined.   
  
He felt his stomach turn at the mention of the quarterback’s name. Why was she so worried about him? God, he felt like strangling him.   
  
“I’m ugly." She concluded.   
  
“No, you’re not!" He countered. “How can you think that? God, Summers do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?" He didn’t even seem to be talking to her anymore as he stared blindly at her face, his fingers coming to brush over her cheeks. “You’re amazing and…" He sighed audibly as he saw her pout. “God, you drive me insane every time you to that."   
  
“What?" She frowned.   
  
“When you pout. Jutting out that lower lip…"   
  
“Angel liked it too." She replied absentmindedly.   
  
That was it! His blood started rushing to his face as the anger boiled up inside of him.   
  
“Will you just forget about that wanker for one bleeding second, damn it?" He growled standing up and pacing around the room in front of her.   
  
She frowned, a drunken look still on her face, giving her a semi-idiotic expression.   
  
“Why are you so angry all of a sudden?" She grumbled with a frown, following him with her gaze. “Will you stop walking around in circles? You’re making me dizzy." She protested shaking her head a bit and blinking.   
  
“Why are you so worried about what Angel thinks?" He tried to control his emotions as he came to an abrupt stop in front of her.   
  
“I don’t worry about what-“   
  
“Bollocks! The whole time, you’re going on about how Angel doesn’t want you anymore, how you think you’re ugly because he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you. What is it with you women? You only like men that are complete wankers. Are you masochists or something? A guy devotes all of his attention to you and you go behind his back to boink the person he hates the most and when he ignores you, you immediately want him back." He let his arms fall limply at his sides as he finished his ramblings.   
  
Buffy simply continued to frown sheepishly as she felt her entire body go numb from the alcohol in her system.   
  
“You need some serious anger management classes, you know that right?" She mumbled.   
  
“I need to get you bloody bints out of my head, that’s what I need." He protested.   
  
“You could always turn gay." She offered. “You already know that my mom has no problem with it."   
  
Spike gave her a fake smile while Buffy cringed at the memory of her mother… Soon the tears started to fall again as the depression phase of her drunken state kicked in once more.   
  
“Oh, will you just quit it?" He growled.   
  
“No, I will not, you insensitive pig!" She shouted at him, throwing herself back on her bed and curling up into the foetal position.   
  
He felt a pang of regret in his heart.   
  
“Oh… Luv… I’m sorry… I didn’t… Please…" He pleaded as he came to the left side of the bed and kneeled down next to it. “Look… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to shout… Please, don’t cry."   
  
She never answered him, simply turning her back to him. He sighed and slowly stood up to sit on the bed, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder.   
  
“Pet… I’m sorry I didn’t-“   
  
“Stop calling me that!" She finally yelled, curling up further.   
  
“I’m sorry… I didn’t…" He continued to beg as he lay down beside her, propping his head on one hand, while the other gently brushed over Buffy’s naked arm.   
  
She didn’t make a move to push him away, standing still as he caressed her skin.   
  
“It’s gonna be ok… Don’t worry." He whispered smoothly in her ear.   
  
Sluggishly, she turned around to face him and without a word snuggled up against his chest. He froze for a second but soon relaxed, bringing his arm around her and pulling her closer. He slowly rocked her; sleep creeping up on him when her soft voice broke through the fog that engulfed his mind.   
  
“What’s that, luv?"   
  
“Did you really mean it?" she repeated.   
  
“Mean what?"   
  
“That you thought I was amazing?" She asked in a low voice, looking up at him from his chest.   
  
“You’re amazing, Summers." He answered with a half smile.   
  
“Do you think I’m cute?" She questioned with a pout, innocently blinking her eyes a couple of times.   
  
“You’re gorgeous." He replied.   
  
She smiled at that, resting her head back on his chest for a while before looking up at him. His eyes were semi-closed as slumber started to take over him again. With one arm draped along the length of the headboard, the other protectively thrown around her he drifted into sleep.   
  
His heart started to race though, as he felt something warm brush over the nape of his neck, a small hand curling around his waist to reach his back and worm its way under his t-shirt, thin legs pressing between his as she moved under his arm.   
  
He opened his eyes to find her nipping and kissing his neck and quickly closed them at the intense sensation that cursed through his veins. He gasped as she moved up and brushed her mouth against his, her hands pushing him onto his back and she crawled over him.   
  
Her right leg moved over his stomach to settle on the other side, next to his thigh, while her tongue snaked its way into his mouth; the mint taste of the mouthwash and a hint alcohol spilling through. He let out a deep groan as she finally straddled him, putting all her weight over his, her hair cascading around his face to gently caress him.   
  
Her hand continued to explore under his t-shirt, pressing hard against the contours of his abdominal muscles as it made its way down south, over his navel.   
  
“Wha…" The words caught in his throat as her tiny fingers slipped under the waistband of his jeans and fondled the mass of curls beneath before finding their goal. “Ah…" He gasped as she carefully encircled him and began pumping while her lips parted to kiss him once again.   
  
He rolled his eyes back in their sockets at the feel of her caressing him.   
  
“Luv…" He started as she kissed her way down his cheek to his earlobe.   
  
“Don’t… Call me that." She gasped.   
  
“What are you… ah…" He stopped in mid sentence as she squeezed him tighter. “…Doing? Please… Stop… we… Oh, God!"   
  
He felt her smile against his neck at his broken voice and it seemed to give him enough strength to grab her by her wrist.   
  
“Please… We can’t do this." He breathed as his other hand dug into her hair and pulled her up to face him.   
  
“Why not?" She pouted. “Don’t you want it?"   
  
“God, you have no idea how much!" He gasped and she began the pumping movements with her right hand again.   
  
“Good!" She smiled and dove for his earlobe, taking it into her mouth to nibble at it.   
  
“Please… stop… you’re drunk… you don’t know… Ah!" He inhaled sharply as she gave him another light squeeze.   
  
He seemed completely lost as she let go of him and proceeded with unbuckling his belt and then working on the buttons of his jeans until they were all undone.   
  
She felt herself blush as she looked downwards at his crotch. The innocent smile that spread over her lips almost did him in. She looked breathtaking all flushed and sweaty, her dishevelled hair cascading around her. God, he wanted her so much.   
  
“Pet…" He managed to whisper as he gathered all of his strength, but it seemed to crumble apart when she looked up at him. “We… can’t do this."   
  
Her answer was to reach into his pants once again, only this time he was fast enough to grab her and stop her.   
  
“You’re drunk, pet. I don’t wanna do this this way. Not like this." He breathed.   
  
“You don’t want me?" She pouted.   
  
“More than anything. But not like this."   
  
Suddenly, anger flashed before her eyes and she was up and off him in a second.   
  
“Get out!" She shouted with her back towards him.   
  
He sat up and reached for her, lightly caressing her back and she snapped.   
  
“Get out!" She yelled off the top of her lungs.   
  
“Luv…"   
  
With anger raving through her veins she stood up and flung the door open as she hissed between clenched teeth:   
  
“Get out. Now."   
  
Head bowed, he stood up and dragged his feet across the floor until he reached the hall and heard the door slam in his back.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;)   
  
Chapter 20   
  
She tossed and turned for what seemed like ages, eventually she tired of it and sat up on the bed, legs brought close to her chest and chin resting on her cotton covered knees. Slowly, she rocked herself as the thoughts meandered around in her still slightly intoxicated mind. Her face cringed up as she remembered…’More than anything. But not like this’. She shut her eyes, trying to control the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Inevitably, other questions invaded her reasoning. Was he still in the house? She hadn’t heard the front door open… She pressed her lips together as she pushed herself off the mattress and walked barefoot to the window. She paused for a second, before lightly tugging at the curtains. A wave of relief washed over her as she saw the old car still parked in her driveway. She frowned and mentally scolded herself as she found herself smiling at the rusted vehicle and quickly made her way back to her bed, plopping down on it. She sat for a few minutes, contemplating what to do next. He was still in her home… ‘How dare he? I’ll show him.’ Having found a perfectly good reason to leave her room, she stood up, put on her bunny shaped slippers and walked out the door. She slowly made her way downstairs and entered the living room.   
  
She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him. There he was, sprawled on the couch, dressed in a pair of jeans and his black t-shirt, one arm thrown carelessly over his face, the other dangling to the floor.   
  
She cocked her head slightly, remaining perfectly still as she watched him sleeping in a pool of moonlight. He looked so… ‘No! He doesn’t look anything! Actually, he does look something… extremely annoying.’   
  
With renewed anger she flicked the light switch on and shouted:   
  
“What are you doing here?"   
  
She watched as he jolted up into sitting position at the sudden noise, his arms instinctively coming to rest on his stomach. He blinked wildly as his eyes refused to adjust to the harsh light coming from the ceiling.   
  
“What?" He managed to mumble in a hoarse voice.   
  
“What are still doing here? I told you to go away… remember?" She gave him an exasperated sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest and angrily tapped her fur-covered left foot.   
  
“Hum…" He inhaled deeply while he rubbed his eyes, his head resting on his hands for a few moments before turning to look up at her. He opened and closed his lips a couple of times, trying to wet his dry mouth as he inspected the apparently pissed off teen towering over him. He never said anything, simply glanced at the large clock on one of the walls and then looked back at Buffy: “It’s four in the morning, luv. Can we have our usual heart-warming banter some other time? Say in about… eight hours?"   
  
“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" She hissed.   
  
“Apparently not. Oh goody!" He said with fake enthusiasm, standing up to hover over her nightgown-clad form. “I was sleeping." He stated the obvious.   
  
Rolling her eyes, she sighed and was about to say something when he started heading for the kitchen. Angrily, she followed him; the alcohol and the heavy, fluffy slippers forcing her to walk in a duck like fashion which caused Spike to chuckle as he leaned against the refrigerator door.   
  
“What are you doing?" She tried to sound as mad as possible, but was extremely distracted as his hand reached under his t-shirt to scratch his chest and in the process pulled at the fabric, exposing his perfectly toned stomach.   
  
“Trying to find something to drink." He explained without even looking at her as he inspected the contents of her fridge. Eventually, he opted for some orange juice, picking up the bottle and setting it on the counter as he searched for a glass in the cabinets.   
  
“This is *my* house!" She protested stomping her foot.   
  
“And I think that after I cleaned and washed your-vomit-soaked-self I have earned the right to some orange juice." He said raising his eyebrows as he sipped from the yellowish liquid.   
  
“Oh…" Was Buffy’s embarrassed answer as she felt the redness creep up her neck to flood her cheeks.   
  
They stood in awkward silence for a few excruciating moments until he finally spoke:   
  
“You seem to be feeling better."   
  
“Hum… Still kinda wobbly… but I’m slowly progressing toward complete control of my motor functions." She answered, not daring to look at him ‘Please, God don’t let him mention what happened upstairs, please don’t let him mention what happened upstairs, please don’t-‘   
  
“Hum… About what happened…"   
  
‘So much for praying. Thanks a lot!’ She grumbled inwardly.   
  
“I-“   
  
“I don’t want to talk about it." She quickly interrupted, raising her hand. “Let’s just file that under alcohol induced momentary stupidity, ok?"   
  
Spike felt his stomach turn in disgust and anger.   
  
“Fine." He managed to hiss, slamming the orange juice on the counter and heading towards the living room.   
  
She quickly followed to find him and watched him as he picked up his discarded duster and shirt before turning back to the hall.   
  
“Where are you going?" She mumbled in a low voice.   
  
“Home. Like you wanted." He grumbled as he headed for the front door.   
  
“Don’t!" She didn’t know what had possessed her to say it, but she did and she swallowed hard as she saw him turning around to face her with a frown over his eyebrows. “I mean…" She tried to hide her nervousness. “You don’t *have* to go if you don’t want to."   
  
“You asking me to stay?" he questioned with half a grin as he tilted his head.   
  
“No!" Was her immediate answer but, as she saw him start to leave, she quickly added. “Yes!" She paused as he faced once again. “I-I’m asking." Seeing the cocky smirk grow she continued with a nonchalant tone: “It’s just cause I’m not sleepy and I’m bored."   
  
“I’m flattered, pet." He mumbled as he strolled back to the living room.   
  
“Don’t be, *William*." She mocked as she sat down on the couch next to him.   
  
Picking up the remote, he flickered through the channels and – nothing. There was absolutely nothing on. He sighed loudly as he turned off the set and glanced at the white-clad girl sitting next to him.   
  
“Now what?"   
  
“I don’t know." She shrugged.   
  
They paused for a few seconds until Buffy piped up.   
  
“We could play cards."   
  
“Ok." He agreed and she immediately jumped off the sofa and jogged her way to a nearby cabinet.   
  
She searched for what seemed like an eternity finally giving up and waving her hands in the air.   
  
“I don’t know where my mom put them." She mumbled dragging her feet as she made her way back to the couch.   
  
They sat in silence once more. It was starting to get just too awkward for her to handle when he offered:   
  
“Wanna play a game?"   
  
She eyed him suspiciously. He had that dirty look in his eyes and that annoying smirk plastered over his lips. He was up to something, but anything was better than the God-awful silence so… ok, she would bite.   
  
“What game?"   
  
“I don’t know…"   
  
The sound of his voice told her that he knew exactly what game to choose, he was just stalling.   
  
“Maybe… truth or dare?" He tried to sound nonchalant about it, but failed miserably at it.   
  
“Oh, no. I’m not playing truth or dare with you." She vehemently refused standing up to walk around the table.   
  
“Why not?!" It came out as a half whine.   
  
“Be-Because… because by Monday everyone in school will know all my darkest most twisted secrets, that’s why." She answered wrapping her arms over her chest.   
  
“I swear I won’t tell anyone. Plus you’ll be able to ask me questions too, remember?"   
  
At that, Buffy stopped the incessant shaking of her head. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea… After a few moments of careful consideration she returned to her seat on the couch, folding her legs under her as she turned to face him.   
  
“Shoot." She said simply.   
  
“Ok!" He exclaimed clapping his hands together as he sat sideways on the sofa, facing her. “Truth or dare, Summers?"   
  
“Truth." She answered with a strong voice.   
  
He didn’t need to think too long, quickly asking:   
  
“Do you still have feelings for Angel?" His tone was low, but a hint of unease filtered through as he spoke.   
  
“Yes." She answered promptly. “My turn. Truth or dare?"   
  
His stomach turned painfully in his gut, twisting until he felt the acid crawl up to the back of his mouth. He swallowed hard and answered:   
  
“Truth."   
  
“Have you ever loved anyone, and when I say love it’s not in any motherly, brotherly or friendly way. I mean love, as in Romeo-and-Juliet-tragically-bound-to-happen sort of love. And who was it?"   
  
“Yes and Dru." He responded.   
  
Buffy couldn’t help but add:   
  
“Do you still love her?"   
  
“Na-na, pet you had your one question, it’s my turn now."   
  
Buffy twisted her mouth in sign of discontentment but didn’t say anything.   
  
“Truth or-“   
  
“Truth." She interrupted.   
  
“Eager little one, aren’t you?"   
  
“Just ask the question Spike." She rolled her eyes at him.   
  
“Let me see…" His eyes suddenly gained a wicked sparkle and he lowered his voice as he asked: “Have you ever had a wet dream about me, pet?"   
  
“What?!" She almost jumped off the couch at the surprise question.   
  
“Sex, luv. Have you ever dreamt of having sex with yours truly?"   
  
Buffy’s eyes grew wide and her cheeks turned bright red.   
  
“I want a dare." She said promptly.   
  
“Hey! That’s cheating."   
  
“It’s not cheating. I changed my mind." She complained with a pout.   
  
“You can’t change your mind. The-“   
  
“Fine. Then I quit."   
  
“Oh, you’re such a baby. If things don’t go you’re way you just quit, is that it?" He objected.   
  
“Fine." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and grumbling in a low voice. “Yes."   
  
“What was that, luv?" He pretended not to hear. Inside his heart pounded furiously against his chest.   
  
“Yes, alright?!" She shouted. “I’ve had a sex dream about you. But it was just one and I didn’t like it."   
  
She saw him raise a suspicious eyebrow at her and she insisted:   
  
“I didn’t! Now, truth or dare?"   
  
“Hey, hey not so fast. You didn’t tell me what it was." He protested.   
  
“You didn’t ask." She said with a triumphant grin. “Truth or dare?"   
  
Spike paused for a second, his brain still trying to get over the fact that she had had a wet dream about him. He swallowed hard as he tried to focus on what she was asking.   
  
“Truth."   
  
“Ha-have you ever had… one of those dreams about me?" She scolded herself mentally for the faltering in her voice.   
  
“Yes." He answered looking straight into her eyes, forcing her to glance away.   
  
Suddenly, his whole expression seemed to change, his eyes grew deeper and darker as he stared intensely at her.   
  
“Ok, your turn!" She said a little too peppy as the nervousness started to get to her. However, it grew twice as big when she saw him move closer to her from the corner of her eyes.   
  
She turned to look at him wide eyed as he leaned in, his face inching closer to her. Her heart raced wildly in her chest, her palms became damp with cold sweat as his lips lightly brushed over hers, his hand coming up to worm its way under her ear and cup her growingly red cheek. He tilted his head and pressed his mouth against hers, his lips parting as his tongue glided over hers. Suddenly, she felt something snapped inside of her. In a flash, she was up and off the couch, careful to put the coffee table between her and the bleached teen that now stared wide eyed at her.   
  
“Ok! That was fun!" she exclaimed over enthusiastically, bringing her hands together for one quick clap. “I think I’ll go back to bed now. Tired! Awww…" She gave him her terribly unbelievable version of a yawn before she turned on her heels and started to head for the hall.   
  
She never even managed to reach the bottom of the staircase before she felt a strong hand grip her arm and force her to turn around. She could swear she could hear her own heartbeat when she turned to meet his dark stare.   
  
“We need to talk about this." He said in a low, hoarse voice.   
  
“Talk? About what?" She was amazed at how she was able to say the words so nonchalantly, considering her heart was now beating in her throat.   
  
“You know about what. Don’t act dumb." He insisted closing his eyes for a second.   
  
She sighed loudly and freed herself from his grip to walk around him in the hall.   
  
“So we had wet dreams about each other. It doesn’t mean anything." She waved her arms around as she spoke, occasionally shrugging. “I mean, it was probably because of all the groping we’ve been doing lately because of… the plan. It just kinda rubbed off…" She tried to rationalize, but as she turned to see his scared eyebrow raised high on his forehead in a clear sign of doubt she exclaimed: “What?! It could be! You know… getting sucked into the part and all. I mean everyone else thinks we’re together. We probably were so good that we even fooled ourselves. It could happen!"   
  
He continued to give her his cynical look.   
  
“Look, what do you want me to say?" she asked exasperated.   
  
“Why did you kiss me?" He questioned taking a step toward her.   
  
“I was drunk!" She quickly defended herself. “And needy cause of my mom and all, it doesn’t count."   
  
“Fine! What about in there?" He tilted his head towards the kitchen.   
  
“You kissed me!" Her finger travelled to point at him before pointing at herself. “It would be… impolite not to kiss back."   
  
“You kissed me back because it was impolite not to?!" He asked incredulous. “And the groping on the counter? Part of the politeness too?"   
  
“Yes." She answered raising her chin high, trying to sound as honest as possible.   
  
“Luv, you hate me, remember? Since when do you care about being polite to me?"   
  
She had no answer to that, she simply pouted and remained still as he closed the distance between them and towered over her.   
  
“Tell the truth, pet… You wanted me just as bad as I wanted you, didn’t you?" He continued his questioning in a low, husky voice.   
  
“Ha!" She’d wanted it to sound filled with contempt, but it came out weak, feeble as he came closer until he was mere inches from her. “Don’t flatter yourself." She said in a low voice, not daring to look up at him, and staring down at her fluffy bunny-shaped slipper. ‘Oh, what interesting slippers I have. Hey, my left shoe is missing an eye! Funny, never noticed it. Funny, funny, funny.’ She tried all the diversions she could think of in order to calm herself, but nothing seemed to work as his scent hovered around her, intoxicating her. ‘Funny little slippers… Oh, for Christ sake stop shaking.’ She scolded herself.   
  
She trembled as his index finger came under her chin to push it upwards, forcing her to look up at him.   
  
“Ok, tell you what. I give you full permission not to be polite to me. So… if I kiss you right now you’re not obliged in any way to return the favour, ok?"   
  
She didn’t answer; just stared up at him, waiting. Slowly, the hand that still rested on her chin moved behind her to stop on the back of her neck, his other arm snaking around her waist to pull her to him. With nerve-wracking laziness, he leaned in and after what seemed like an eternity, their lips came into contact. He brushed his lips over hers in small, excruciatingly innocent pecks, refusing to deepen the kiss. It was her move to make, but she never did. He could feel his body just begging him to grab her tighter and just crush her against the door and to hell with his male ego, but he fought the urge that was quickly becoming painfully obvious by the sudden lack of room in his pants.   
  
‘Fluffy bunnies, funny fluffy bunnies. Don’t think about Spike, ignore Spike, don’t kiss back, think of fluffy funny bunnies… missing an eye.’ She ordered her body. But her resolve started to crumble as he slowly pushed her against the front door and pressed his entire body against hers. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt something hard pressing against her lower abdomen; his hand, which had until now rested on her lower back, came up around her side *accidentally* brushing over her breast as it made its way to her neck.   
  
That was it! Her brain just went into hormone-induced overdrive automatically shutting down, letting her body take over. Her arms flew around him to grip the back of his neck as she parted her lips and slipped her tongue into his mouth.   
  
Spike let out a surprised groan as their tongues ravenously brushed against each other. His arms instantly dropped to her thighs and scooped her off the floor, her nightgown hitching up to her waist as her legs quickly wrapped around him.   
  
As they hungrily kissed and battled, breathing became an issue and Buffy pulled away for a quick intake of air, giving Spike just enough time to say with a cocky attitude:   
  
“I knew you’d cave in. I just-“   
  
“Shut up, Spike." She mumbled before crushing his mouth with hers.   
  
They returned to their heated kissing and soon she was pushing and pulling at his t-shirt. They broke the kiss just long enough to get the black fabric over his head, quickly coming back to claim each others mouths.   
  
His fingers dug into her pale thighs with bruising force, leaving bright red marks as they moved over the tender skin there.   
  
“Mmmm… “ Buffy hummed into his mouth as she tried to speak, but he wouldn’t let her go.   
  
Eventually, she pulled back and pointed up the stairs.   
  
“Bedroom…" She managed to breathe.   
  
Spike nodded before pulling her for another hungry kiss.   
  
“Mmm… Spike!" She insisted avoiding his mouth   
  
“What?!" He asked in a haze.   
  
“The bedroom… Put me down?"   
  
After the few seconds that were needed to rewire his brain into coherent thought mode, he tilted his head and asked her with a serious tone:   
  
“You’re not gonna change your mind are you?" He almost pleaded. “I mean, if you want to you can! It’s just that… “ He pouted slightly and gave her the lost puppy look as he begged: “Please don’t change your mind…"   
  
She couldn’t help but smile as she shook her head.   
  
“You sure?"   
  
She nodded.   
  
Apparently, satisfied with her answer he set her down on the floor.   
  
“And they’ll be no answering the phone." He suddenly remembered.   
  
“I won’t answer the phone. We’ll just let it ring, even if it’s my mom telling me that she’s coming home." She giggled as she made her way up the stairs.   
  
“Ok, maybe we can answer the phone." He changed his mind as he followed her.   
  
  


Chapter 21   
  
Author's Note: In this chapter there’s one scene which is partially taken form one of my all time favourite movies. Anyway, it’s just this one line which I just LOVE!!! So if you find something vaguely familiar about it, it’s because it’s from that movie. See if you can guess which one it is… You get a cookie if you do! ;) The moment they entered the room and she closed the door behind her, she found herself being snagged into Spike’s arms. Never giving her a chance to say or do anything, he pulled her close, bringing his mouth over hers in for another bruising kiss. His fingers dug tunnels through her thick hair as he desperately tried to have her closer to him. He stumbled slightly backwards as she pressed her palms against his bare chest, anxiously pushing him toward the bed. He toppled onto the mattress with a loud thud, Buffy tumbling right after him causing him to exhale sharply. Her hands immediately scurried down from his chest to the buckle of his belt, nervously fumbling with it while he tugged and pulled at her long nightgown.   
  
He let out a ragged breath when she managed to unbutton his pants and reached inside, much like she had done a few hours before. Her small hand instantly encircled him while she looked up to find him with his head thrown back, his mouth slightly opened as soft moans came from it as she began to slowly pump him.   
  
He swallowed hard and tried to push back his emotions, returning to the task of getting her nightgown off, but it proved to be extremely challenging under her ministrations.   
  
Looking up at the girl straddling him, he tried to ignore what she was doing to him as his shaking hands travelled from her calves up to her tanned thighs, tugging at the white fabric that covered them in the process. He paused being momentarily disconcerted by the feel of her warm tongue on his neck. After a few seconds, his fingers finally found their way to her back and slipped under her cotton panties, pulling them down. His eyes rolled back as she let her entire weight rest on his chest, her small breasts crushed against his so he could push the white fabric all the way down her soft legs.   
  
As soon as they were off, Buffy sat up straight and proceeded with tugging at his pants. She struggled with his large combat boots but soon they too, along with the denims, were discarded to the floor near her underwear.   
  
She was about to straddle him again when he quickly flipped her over to pin her, hovering over her, strong arms on either side of her to support his weight. One of his hands abandoned the mattress to travel over her shoulder, around the side of her ribcage, down her thighs to reach the edge of her nightgown.   
  
She held her breath as he lazily made his way back up her legs, his fingertips now under the white material, caressing her skin until they reached her hipbone.   
  
His right leg dipped between hers and pushed them apart, opening her up to his fingers which slowly came to crawl on the inside of her thighs.   
  
She let out a hungry groan as she realised he was avoiding the part of her that most ached for his touch. She mentally scolded herself for her needy reaction as she looked upwards to find his trademark cocky grin on his lips. But before she could say anything, one long index finger found its way to the spot where her legs came together.   
  
“Ah!" She breathed as he pushed her lips apart and slowly traced unrecognisable paths over her swollen flesh. “Please…" She hated herself for asking, but she couldn’t help it.   
  
Her regret soon vanished as he plunged his finger into her core, causing her to instinctively arch her back off the mattress. She moaned under his touch and he had to use all of his strength to stop himself from just skipping the whole foreplay session and just take her right then and there. Instead, he leaned in and took her mouth in a hard and ravenous kiss, while his fingers continued to rub, caress and tease her. He almost lost control as he felt her moan against his lips. God, she made such delicious noises! They just drove him insane!   
  
Without thinking, she spread her legs wider in a clear inviting sign; her hips thrusting against his hand with desperate urgency. But she needed more, she needed… Her trembling hand reached for his and pulled it away.   
  
Spike abruptly stopped kissing her to look at her from under a worried frown:   
  
“Did I hurt you? A-Are you ok? D-do you wanna-“   
  
He stopped in mid sentence as her miniscule hand grabbed his cock and placed it at her entrance.   
  
“Oh…" He realised as he brought his arms to rest on the mattress symmetrically to his other one and bent down to kiss her once again.   
  
“Do you have… you know?" She nervously broke the kiss to ask.   
  
Spike froze. ‘Damn it! How could I forget? Stupid!’   
  
“I-I’m not sure." He stuttered as he got off the bed and bent over to pick up his discarded pants.   
  
He anxiously shoved his hands into the back pockets and took out his wallet.   
  
“Could you turn on the light?" He asked. God, he hated this part.   
  
It was just so awkward. If he did have a condom, she would probably think he thought she was easy and that he was expecting to get some. If he didn’t have one… well, he’d pretty much be pissed at himself for the rest of his life. He didn’t know which of the options he preferred.   
  
When she turned on the lamp he immediately started to nervously dig through his wallet, pushing his fingers into every available compartment. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as he found the blue and white wrapper. Well, he guessed he preferred the first option then.   
  
Buffy inhaled sharply seeing him opening the small package to take out the piece of rubber inside and quickly looked away, her face flushed as he proceeded with slipping the condom on. She turned back to face him when she felt the mattress shift under his weight.   
  
She lay back as he crawled over her, his hands coming to frame her face as he took his place between her legs. He bent down and lightly kissed her as he slowly lowered his hips, the tip of his cock pushing past her folds to slip inside.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He groaned into the nape of her neck, his eyes rolling back, his mouth gaping open as her heat enveloped him. “…Cor, you’re so… Oh, God! So bloody… tight" He had to force the words out as he was suddenly out of breath.   
  
Buffy’s eyes went wide as he entered her, feeling herself being stretched out to her limits, the sound of his low, hoarse voice making her skin tighten with goose bumps. A strange mixture of hungry desire and womanly pride ranging through her veins at the sight of him hopelessly moaning and incoherently babbling on top of her.   
  
Pretty soon, she was the one mewling as he slowly started to glide in and out of her slick channel. She held her breath, feeling him move inside of her, in a slow steady pace at first, but it quickly grew in intensity and speed, as he plunged deeper and harder into her with each thrust.   
  
Her hands flew to the back of his arms, clawing and scraping at them as the strange sensation grew inside of her. She had never felt anything like this and it was overwhelming the ease with which he made her feel it.   
  
Spike moved faster and harder, pushing his hips forward to meet hers as he drove into her. She was so tight, so hot… better than anything he could have imagined. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he tried to focus on something other than the small creature moaning under him, clawing at his arms, his back. God, it seemed impossible! Closing his eyes he mumbled in his thoughts: ‘Think of something else! Think of something else you wanker, or this is definitely not going to last. Bad things! Lifetime without smoking, being naked in front of the whole student body, seeing my da naked, my da having-“   
  
“Ah!" Her cry of pleasure broke through his cloud of thoughts and he found himself on the verge of… ‘If she keeps making those sexy noises and wiggling under me, I’m not-‘   
  
He let out a deep groan as one of her hands came to cup his ass, his eyes shooting wide open to stare down at her. He almost came at the mere sight of her. She was flushed, her eyes shut, her neck arched back, exposing her beautiful neck to him, her mouth opening and closing as she panted wildly.   
  
“Spike… Don’t stop… please, don’t stop… please… God, this is so-"   
  
Spike’s hand came to cover her mouth.   
  
“Please..." He begged her breathless as he continued to thrust into her. “Luv… don’t… I can’t- Ouch!" He cried out as he felt her bite into the palm of his hand. “Bloody hell-“   
  
“Stop calling me that!" She grumbled slapping him across the arm.   
  
“What?" He asked frozen inside of her.   
  
“Luv and pet and… Betty." The last word came out dripping with repressed anger. “I know it’s hard to remember my name with all the-“   
  
He smiled and lowered himself to softly whisper in her ear:   
  
“I know your name, Buffy."   
  
She froze at the sound of her own name on his lips. It felt so… Her mind stopped functioning as he restarted moving inside of her, pushing in and out of her in an excruciatingly slow pace as his teeth captured her earlobe and lightly nibbled at it.   
  
Her legs hooked behind his knees as she felt herself growing tighter with each stroke. Her eyes shot open when she felt him sneak his hand between their bodies and… what was he- Oh God that felt…   
  
“Ah, Spike… What are you…? Oh, God…" She mumbled. “I… never… Ah!" She cried out feeling the energy that had been building in her core shoot out to course through her entire body, making her arch her back off the mattress and she bucked uncontrollably.   
  
“Bloody hell, Buffy… so tight! Buffy…" He growled, felling her inner muscles clamp down around him and thrusting hard into her a couple more times before he let himself come.   
  
He collapsed on top of her in a pool of sweat, pulling ragged breaths from his lungs as he finally came down from his orgasm. When her soft moan reached his ears though, he forced his weight onto his forearms and stared down at the flushed girl laying under him.   
  
“Are you ok?" He managed to ask between pants.   
  
She simply nodded as her breathing prevented her from saying a word.   
  
Slowly, he slipped out of her warm channel and rolled over to lie on his back next to her. They stared at the ceiling in silence, their combined gasps being the only thing breaking the stillness.   
  
Buffy felt her heart race in her chest when he shifted on the bed turning his back to her. ‘What is he doing? Is he just gonna turn over and sleep? Why that little- Oh!’ She stopped her mental bashing as she realised what he was doing. ‘Condom… right.’   
  
She calmed down when, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him turn on his side, facing her. ‘Oh God! I think I liked it better with the turning away.’ She thought as he stared intensely at her. Swallowing hard she dared to look at him.   
  
“So…" He started in a low, husky voice.   
  
‘Oh God, what a voice!’ She suddenly noticed how every time he spoke she felt the goose bumps on her flesh grow.   
  
“That was…" He tried to make conversation.   
  
“…amazing!" It was out of her mouth before she could help it.   
  
A proud smile curled his lips.   
  
“Thanks, luv-Buffy!" He corrected himself in time as he swung his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.   
  
She slowly turned towards him, burying her face in his chest and inhaling his scent. Man, he even smelled good after all the sweating!   
  
Seeing her close her eyes, he reached for the lamp on the nightstand and turned it off, the moon being the only source of light in the entire room. Slowly, the two drifted into sleep as Spike lazily drew small circles on her cotton covered back.   
  
~+~   
  
He let the smoke whirl around in his lungs for a long time before he exhaled. He leaned on the porch and looked dazed at the cars that passed by. Taking one last puff from his cigarette, he dropped the butt to the floor and crushed it with his boots before entering the house. He bent down for a moment picking up his balled up duster and shirt and jogged up the stairs.   
  
A soft smile spread over his lips at the sight of Buffy’s sleeping form. Quickly, he discarded all of his clothes and slipped into bed, spooning against her.   
  
Buffy awoke, under the covers, to the wonderful feeling of long warm arms entangled around her, a lean, hard body pressed against her back. Instinctively, she pushed her hips backwards trying to stretch out. A low growl reached her ears as she felt something harder poke her behind.   
  
“Morning, pet." A deep, manly voice breathed in her ear sending shivers down her back.   
  
“Morning!" She answered with a sleep filled voice.   
  
She felt her heart start to race as the memories of what had happened the night before dawned on her. ‘Oh, my God! I had sex with Spike! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!’   
  
The feel of him drawing lazy circles over her cotton-covered belly broke through her incessant mantra. He slowly pressed against her back; the arm he had flung over her waist tightening around her while his free hand came to push her hair away from her neck. He snuggled his nose into the tender flesh there before his tongue darted out to lick her all the way up to her earlobe.   
  
Without thinking, she let out a moan, her hand resting over his as their fingers entangled together. Her heat pounded wildly as she slowly guided his hand from her stomach over to her breast, encouraging him to cup the soft mound. He growled into her ear, squeezing it lightly as he pushed his hips into her backside, showing her hard evidence of the effect she had on him.   
  
His hands abandoned her breast to travel downwards and pull at her nightgown before dipping between her thighs; long fingers pushing her moist lips apart to rub against the small bundle of nerves hidden there.   
  
He bit into her earlobe as she squeezed her legs together preventing him from moving.   
  
“It’s late…" She moaned looking at the alarm-clock on her nightstand through hooded eyes. “My mom…"   
  
“She said she’d be late…" He mewled.   
  
“But…" She tried to protest but her body seemed to have other ideas as her legs relaxed giving him room to move. “… she might…" Her mind drew a complete blank as she felt him drive his finger into her soaked entrance.   
  
He slowly pushed in and out of her, the palm of his hand rubbing against her clit as he moved. His arm awkwardly tried to pull her nightgown upwards to uncover her back, without abandoning his ministrations. After a few tries he was successful.   
  
Buffy struggled for breath when she felt him press against her ass, his hard member easily slipping between her cheeks to rest at her drenched entrance. A moment of clarity flashed in her mind and she managed to whimper as she felt him try to push himself into her:   
  
“Wait!"   
  
Spike groaned but immediately stopped.   
  
“Do you have another one?" She felt the flush travel up her neck to flood her cheek.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He cursed at himself and then turned to her with a weak voice: “No… that was the only one."   
  
Buffy let out a disappointed mewl.   
  
“Don’t you have one?"   
  
He felt his heart skip a beat when she shook head.   
  
“Your mom?"   
  
“Ew! No!" She immediately exclaimed twisting her face for a disgusted look.   
  
“Just asking… I mean if she’s been going out-“   
  
“Spike, you’re ruining any chance of getting laid today." Buffy grumbled turning her head to face him.   
  
“Is that so?" He asked cocking his scarred eyebrow as he moved his hand which still rested between her legs and pushed inside her again.   
  
“Ah…" She moaned closing her eyes at the feeling.   
  
He slowly crawled down her back, trailing soft kisses over her exposed skin. Buffy groaned when he slipped his hand away from her core causing him to smile into her flesh as his lips brushed around her waist to find her lower abdomen, turning her to lie on her back.   
  
Buffy’s eyes grew wide when she realised what he was planning on doing. She looked down to find his platinum head move lower along her body until it was kissing the inside of her thighs.   
  
“No… Spike…" She hesitated. “I don’t like… that." She managed to say in a low voice.   
  
Spike’s head popped up between her legs with a furrowed brow.   
  
“You don’t like this?" He asked confused.   
  
“No…" She answered shyly.   
  
“Has anyone ever done it to you?" He continued to question, unaware of her unease on the subject.   
  
“Of course! I wouldn’t say I didn’t like it if I hadn’t tried it." The embarrassment of the situation quickly grew into anger.   
  
“Are you sure? Cause most girls love-“ He started with a wicked tone.   
  
“I’m not most girls!" She cut him off. The rage boiled inside of her at the thought of him doing that to any other girl. She started to sit up straight, shoving him away with her legs, but he was quicker, snaking his arms around her thighs and pushing them down against the mattress.   
  
“No need to go into ‘gnashing mode’ on me." He said with a cocky smirk.   
  
“I’m not going into ‘gnashing mode’!" She grumbled pulling her nightgown downward to cover the apex of her thighs, her hand tucking the fabric against her core. “Now let me go!" She tried to pull her legs free from his grip but failed.   
  
He pouted slightly, looking up at her from under heavy eyelids.   
  
“Just for a while…" He started running his lips on the inside of her thighs. “If you don’t like it…" His mouth moved upwards until it reached her hand which was still resting between her legs. “I’ll stop…" He finished taking her pinkie into his mouth and suckling lightly.   
  
“No…" Her denial came out feeble as she unconsciously moved her hand away.   
  
Slowly, he let his nose glide over the inside of her thighs until it reached the edge of her nightgown. He dipped under it, pulling it up slightly with the help of one of his hands.   
  
Buffy held her breath as she waited, her weight resting on her forearms. She let out a muffled cry when she finally felt his tongue dart out to lick her outer lips. Her entire body contracted in anticipation when she saw him move closer, his tongue pushing her soft folds apart then, suddenly:   
  
“Buffy! Are you home, honey?"   
  
Her mom’s voice carried through the hall and past her door.   
  
“Oh my God! My mom!" Buffy squealed. “Quick, hide!" She ordered as the bleached teen quickly disentangled himself from her legs and stood up looking for his clothes.   
  
“Honey! Is Spike here?"   
  
“How does your mom know I’m here?" Spike stopped dressing for a second to look up at Buffy with a frown.   
  
“How the hell should I know? Now get dressed!" She ordered. Her heart stopped in her throat when she heard her mother’s footsteps come closer and closer and then the doorknob slowly turned.   
  
‘Oh, my God!’   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali my wonderful Beta-mom for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;)   
  
  
  
Chapter 22   
  
Mrs. Summers never knew what hit her. Suddenly, out of the blue, her daughter materialised before her.   
  
“Buffy!" She exclaimed surprised.   
  
“Hey, mom!" The blonde teen replied over enthusiastically while at the same time awkwardly trying to close the door behind her. “You’re home early!" She continued, with a plastic smile on her face.   
  
“Early? It’s 12 o’clock." Mrs. Summers frowned.   
  
“Oh… Yeah, b-but you said you weren’t coming home for lunch." Buffy stuttered, anxiously digging her nails into the palm of her left hand.   
  
“I missed you." Mrs. Summers gave her daughter a sweet smile before asking: “Why are you still in your nightgown?"   
  
“Hum…" Buffy looked down at herself. “I stayed up late watching movies." She lied.   
  
“Oh, is Spike here?"   
  
Buffy froze at the question. To lie or not to lie… Hum… Let’s play it safe:   
  
“Why do you think that?"   
  
“I saw his car parked out front." The older woman answered tilting her head towards the lower level of the house.   
  
“Oh…" Buffy nodded slightly, but then frowned: “How’d you know that was Spike’s a car?"   
  
It was Mrs. Summers’ turn to blush and stammer nervously:   
  
“I-I… I just assumed. A car parked in our driveway and you and Spike being so close lately." She tilted her head slightly and held her breath waiting for her daughter’s reaction.   
  
“Oh… Well… yes it's Spike’s car." Buffy answered vaguely.   
  
“So he’s here? In there?" Mrs. Summers waved a finger toward the bedroom door.   
  
“Yes… He’s… hum… He was… hum…" Her daughter struggled for an explanation and suddenly blurted out: “He was upset and needed to talk… you know. Teen stuff! Emotional problems, identity crises and all that… teen stuff!"   
  
“Is he having problems at school? With the rest of the students?" Mrs. Summers questioned worriedly.   
  
“Yes!" Buffy lifted her hand towards her mother. “That’s exactly it! He’s been having problems with the guys." She blabbed in relief.   
  
“Is it because of Angel?"   
  
Buffy froze up again.   
  
“Angel?!" She repeated wide-eyed.   
  
“You know… Angel and he…" Mrs. Summers awkwardly tried to hint.   
  
“Hum…" Buffy’s mind raced. ‘What the hell is she talking about? Does she know about Dru? How?’ “Yes…" She finally opted.   
  
“Oh, Buffy I’m so sorry. Poor thing, he must feel awful."   
  
“Well… yes." Buffy was still kind of edgy with the direction the conversation was taking. Since when did her mother know about the whole Dru and Angel story?   
  
“I mean, being hurt by the person you love." Mrs. Summers continued to sympathise and Buffy continued to nod under a furrowed brow. “You know honey… Boys at your age feel very threatened by people like Spike… they don’t understand it yet, and that might make them act… wrongly towards Spike."   
  
Now Buffy was lost. What the *hell* was her mother talking about? To play it safe she simply proceeded with looking intently at her mother, silently listening to every word.   
  
“Angel will eventually learn how to deal with Spike… a-and Spike will find someone else… Someone worthy of his affection."   
  
‘Oh. My. God! My mom thinks Spike is in love with ANGEL? Oh, my God, oh, my God! Breathe, Buffy! Breathe!’ She commanded herself.   
  
“But it’s good that he has someone like you to talk to." Mrs. Summers reached out to caress her daughter’s suddenly pale cheek. “Well, I’ll be downstairs if you need me."   
  
Buffy watched unmoving as her mother walked down the stairs. She snapped out of her daze a few moments later and turned around to enter her bedroom.   
  
“So? Are we dead yet?" Spike anxiously asked. He was now fully dressed, except for his duster and shirt which were still bundled up on the floor.   
  
“Not yet." Buffy answered calmly, with a strange sparkle in her eyes.   
  
“What happened?" Spike insisted as he watched the blonde girl slowly walk over to her bed and sit on it.   
  
“My mom…" She started with a mischievous smile on her lips.   
  
“Yes…"   
  
“She thinks… hum… how do I put this in a way that will not bruise your fragile male ego?"   
  
“Summers!" Spike angrily exclaimed as the waiting began to dig into him.   
  
“She thinks you’re in love with Angel and that Angel hates you!" She blurted out with a peppy tone as she cocked her head sideways. She had to swallow back the chuckles as she saw the bleached teen turn various shades of purple before crying out:   
  
“What?!"   
  
“She thinks you’re suffering from the gay blues because of your unrequited *love* for Angel." She let the L sound roll off her tongue in a childish tease.   
  
“What?!" He repeated, still frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth gapping open.   
  
“Hum… Honey? We just covered the ‘what’ part, remember?" She mocked with fake concern.   
  
“Your mom thinks I’m in love with that wanker?" He finally snapped out of his lethargic state of mind.   
  
“Yep!" She smacked her lips together for the P sound as she lay back on the bed, resting on her forearms.   
  
“With that wanker?"   
  
She nodded.   
  
“Personally I thought you would be more concerned with the fact that my mom actually thinks you’re gay, and not with the particular detail that you want Angel to be your hot, sex slave." She continued to joke, but regretted it when she saw the fierce look in his eyes.   
  
She yelped when suddenly he was on her. His hands rested on her shoulders, pushing them gruffly against the mattress, his chest crushing hers making it almost impossible to breathe.   
  
“I thought I made it clear who I wanted to be my hot, sex slave last night." He snarled, running his tongue over his teeth.   
  
Buffy caught her breath as his knee brusquely pushed between hers, forcing her to spread her legs. His hand never gave her the opportunity to make a move as it snaked under her nightgown, hitching it up to quickly find her core; expert fingers parted her lips, roughly caressing the tender nub they found.   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened her mouth opening to let out a ragged moan.   
  
“Maybe mommy dearest would change her mind if she heard you scream out my name right now." He purred in her ear as his hand continued to work on her.   
  
Buffy moved her lips trying to speak, somehow the sound refused to come out. Eventually she managed to whimper:   
  
“Spike… don’t… Ah!" She arched off the mattress as he drove one long finger into her.   
  
“Don’t what, pet?" He asked with a lascivious tone.   
  
Buffy struggled with the words as she felt him move inside of her, exploring and rubbing just the right spot.   
  
“Don’t what?" He repeated this time with a less cocky voice as his own desire grew at the mere sight of her contorting under his touch.   
  
“My mother… please… Spike… Ah!" Her trembling hand travelled down her body to reach his, still buried between her legs.   
  
She pathetically pulled at it, not really wanting the feeling to stop.   
  
“Please stop… please…"   
  
She gasped when he actually pulled out of her and sat up on the mattress. Shaking her head slightly, she droopily propped herself up on her forearms. She expected him to have that annoying smirk on his face but instead, she found him looking at her under hooded eyelids.   
  
“Better stop now. Don’t think I could if we took it any further." He said with a faltering voice as he stood up.   
  
Buffy sat up straight on the bed, tugging her nightgown down to cover her legs as she pulled them against her chest. They stayed in silence for a while, until Spike broke it.   
  
“So…" He started awkwardly. “What are we going to do on Monday?"   
  
Oh, God! The talk. They were having the morning after talk. She wasn’t ready for the talk, not now that her hormones were still raging inside of her.   
  
“I-I don’t know… what do you want to do?" She threw the ball into his side of the court, forcing him to make a decision.   
  
“I don’t know, either." Spike shrugged sitting down at the chair next to her desk.   
  
Silence filled the room again. Bad, extremely uncomfortable silence. Suddenly, Buffy stood up and started pacing around the room in front of him.   
  
“Do you wanna…" She began. God, this was hard! Why was this hard? “… I don’t know? Do you wanna…" She exhaled sharply, letting her arms fall to her sides. “What do you wanna do?"   
  
“I don’t know." He shrugged again.   
  
“You don’t know. So whatever I choose is fine by you?" A hint of anger started to creep in her voice.   
  
“No… it’s just… It’s not like I planned this!" He sighed waving his hand at the bed.   
  
“Fine! You know what? We’ll just go back to whatever we were doing before." She hissed as she continued to walk around in circles. “We’ll pretend like none of this happened and-“   
  
She stopped in mid sentence as she turned around to find him towering in front of her.   
  
“No." He said in a low, angry voice.   
  
She looked up at him, swallowing as she waited for him to say something. She watched as he closed his eyes for a second, trying to gather himself, when he opened them again shaky fingers came to brush over her cheek.   
  
“I don’t want to pretend it never happened." He whispered.   
  
Suddenly, a light knock on the door was heard. The two teens immediately jumped away from each other just as Mrs. Summers’ head popped in.   
  
“Hey! Hi, Spike." She greeted.   
  
“Hey, Mrs. Summers." He responded with little enthusiasm.   
  
“I ordered pizza." Turning to Spike she added: “You’re having lunch with us, right?" She asked.   
  
“Hum…" He looked at Buffy, trying to read her expression. He was about to answer when she stepped in:   
  
“Yes, mom."   
  
“Ok, pizza should be here any minute."   
  
“We’ll be down in a second."   
  
Mrs. Summers gave them a light smile before closing the door.   
  
Spike turned to look at Buffy as she nervously twirled her hair.   
  
“Well… I better get dressed and… hum… take a shower."   
  
“Yeah… right." He nodded awkwardly as he watched her move towards her wardrobe and take out a grey robe before closing it.   
  
Her feet found their way into the fluffy bunny-shaped slippers she had been wearing the night before and she slowly walked towards the door.   
  
“You can go downstairs to watch TV. I know how you love our cable." She gave him a soft smile and left the room.   
  
~+~   
  
She rushed down the stairs, her wet hair framing her flushed face as she entered the kitchen.   
  
“Hey!" She greeted a bit nervous.   
  
Spike looked up from his cup of hot chocolate to stare at her. She was wearing old, worn out jeans and a red turtleneck sweater. His eyes widened as his stomach turned, it felt like he had a thousand butterflies flying around in it. Glancing at Mrs. Summers he quickly looked back down into the mug he held between his hands.   
  
Buffy sat down on the stool next to Spike and nervously tapped her fingers on the counter.   
  
“So… Did you have fun last night, Buffy?" Her mother asked when she finished putting away the groceries she’d bought on her way home.   
  
Buffy swallowed hard and glanced at Spike for a second but he was still immersed in staring into his cup of chocolate.   
  
“Yeah, it was fun." She answered anxiously.   
  
“Good."   
  
A ringing sound found its way into the kitchen.   
  
“That would be the pizza. Be right back."   
  
And with that the older woman walked away leaving the two teens alone.   
  
“Did you throw away the… thingy?" Buffy immediately asked.   
  
“What thingy?" The Brit asked with a frown.   
  
“My mom cleaned up my room and made my bed. Please tell me you threw out the…" She leaned in and whispered. “… the condom."   
  
A smirk settle over Spike’s lips as he answered:   
  
“Don’t worry, luv. I was the one who made your bed. You’re mom stayed down here the whole time. Left my duster and shirt in a plastic bag under your bed. You gotta give me a backpack later to take them home without your mom noticing. And yes, I did take care of the…" He came closer to her, mimicking her actions in a jokingly manner: “…condom."   
  
“You made my bed?" Buffy asked surprised, ignoring his mocking.   
  
“Sure."   
  
“You made my bed?" She repeated still not convinced.   
  
“Yeah, what of it?"   
  
“Nothing… It’s just so s…"   
  
“Pizza’s here!" Mrs. Summers walked into the kitchen carrying two family-sized pizza boxes.   
  
“Mom, why did you order so much. We’re never going to be able to eat that." Buffy protested, self-consciously rubbing her stomach; it was still a little queasy as a result of her alcohol binge.   
  
“Nonsense, of course we are. Now eat up."   
  
~+~   
  
RING!RING!RING!   
  
One heavy arm was flung out from under the covers to hit the irritating alarm clock into silence.   
  
Buffy groaned as she sat up on the bed. She really hated Mondays. Especially the Mondays she had to go to school and face… Spike! Her heart raced at the thought of finding him in the halls. What was she supposed to do? Kiss him hello? Not kiss him? Ignore him? What? And if they did kiss, were they kissing because of the deal they had between them or was it something else?   
  
“God, this is extremely frustrating!" She growled as she walked into the bathroom.   
  
~+~   
  
‘Hum… History class. Good old, boring as hell but safely Spikeless history class.’ She thought to herself as she tapped her pencil on her desk.   
  
She had successfully avoided the dreaded encounter between them. It wasn’t as if she was hiding from him or anything. She was just intent on walking very quickly through the halls without looking up… ever again. She just wanted to get to class in time. ‘Right, keep telling yourself that…’   
  
She felt her heart slam against her chest when the bell rang.   
  
‘Oh, my God! I’ve got English next! Damn it!’ She grumbled mentally as she stood up and started shoving her books into her backpack.   
  
“You ready?" Willow asked, coming to lean on the desk next to Buffy’s.   
  
“Just a second." She replied, throwing her pad into the large bag and flinging it over her shoulder.   
  
The two teens walked out of the class together and down the hall. Buffy stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him. He was leaning against her locker, his eyes scanning the crowd, clearly looking for something or… someone. She didn’t know why, but the sight of him eagerly turning his head left and right, possibly looking for… her, made her throat close up, her heart rapidly race in her chest and in her stomach… ‘Oh my God! I’m having butterflies in my stomach over Spike? Since when? Oh right, since the scorching hot sex we had.’   
  
She inhaled sharply and continued to walk towards her locker. ‘Time for the moment of truth!’ She thought as she reached him.   
  
“Hey!" He jumped off the locker when he saw her.   
  
“Hey, yourself." She said with a smile trying to mask the panicky feeling that seemed to be eating her alive.   
  
She watched out of the corner of her eyes and waited for him to move.   
  
Spike took a step closer and she felt her heart jump to her throat. ‘Is he gonna kiss me hello?’ She thought hopeful.   
  
But suddenly, he moved away and leaned back on the locker. He was about to say something when he felt a heavy hand come down on his back.   
  
“Hey, bleach boy!" Xander’s enthusiastic tone carried through the entire hall.   
  
“Hey, whelp." Spike grumbled, his eyes never leaving the small girl that was now opening her locker.   
  
“And how is our little Buffy? Hang over free?" Xander mocked.   
  
“Don’t start, Xander." Buffy answered with a little too much anger in her tone.   
  
“Oh!" Xander put up his hands in a clear sign of surrender.   
  
“She doesn’t want to talk about it." Willow piped up.   
  
“Thanks for the heads up, Will." The brown haired boy replied sarcastically.   
  
Buffy pushed her locker closed and leaned on it. She felt her stomach turn and the anger start to boil up inside of her. ‘He wants to ignore it? Fine. By. Me.’ She thought as she pressed her lips together.   
  
“Hey, guys." Oz showed up worming his arms around Willow’s waist before giving her cheek a light peck.   
  
That only served to heighten Buffy’s growing rage.   
  
“Hey, Oz. Buffy doesn’t want to talk about it." Xander quickly warned him.   
  
Oz simply gave him a nod and continued in silence.   
  
“Where’s Cordelia?" Willow asked.   
  
“Cheerleading practice. Big practice for big homecoming match." Xander rubbed his hands together. “Are you guys going to the game? Please tell me you’re going to the game. I need company." Xander practically begged.   
  
“Xander, you know we hate going to the games." Willow protested.   
  
“Yeah, but it’s homecoming and… Cordy is gonna kill me if I’m not there to see her shake her moneymaker." Xander explained with a pleading tone. “I thought this year you guys were gonna come, what with Buffy dating the star quarterback and all, but then there was the whole… hum…" Xander came to a conflicting stop, his mind racing to find a way to avoid the sensitive subject. One glance at the blonde duo gave him a clear message - nope, there was no way to avoid it, not now. He was dead meat, especially with the evil looks Buffy was currently throwing him. “You know what? Better not go to the game at all. Be my own man. Show Cordy who’s the boss in this relationship." He suddenly changed the direction of the conversation, inflating his chest to hysterical proportions as he tugged at his jeans, pulling them upwards in a highly manly fashion. “Yep! I’m no woman’s man." He frowned a little. “Ok, that sounded wrong. Worked much better for the bald Scottish chic."   
  
Willow’s brown furrowed.   
  
“It’s from Sinead O’Connor’s song ‘No man’s woman’." Oz explained before turning to Xander and adding: “And I think she’s Irish."   
  
“Oh! Good thing I have my musically-skilled boyfriend to help me out with the obscure song references." Willow said giddily giving Oz a quick peck on the lips.   
  
“She’s Irish?" Xander frowned. “Are you sure?"   
  
“Pretty sure." Oz replied monotonically.   
  
As the debate went on, Spike desperately tried to catch Buffy’s attention, throwing various ‘what did I do wrong’ glances at her in a feeble attempt to find some eye-contact; Buffy simply crossed her arms over her chest and angrily stared at the floor. Everyone was oblivious to the tension building between the two of them as Spike nervously inched closer to her.   
  
“Irish, huh?" Xander repeated. “I just saw the Behind the Music on Sinead O’Connor last night and she had like this weird accent. She’s gotta be Scottish."   
  
“The Irish have the weird accent too. Not the same, but still weird." Oz replied.   
  
“Are you-“   
  
“Fascinating conversation guys, but I really have to go to class." Buffy cut Xander off, letting her hands drop to her hips.   
  
“The bell hasn’t even rung yet." Willow noted.   
  
“Buffy, you’re not becoming Miss ‘Responsible, have to be on time every time goody-two-shoes’, are you?" Xander asked cocking up an eyebrow.   
  
“Yeah, that’s my role, remember? You’re the funny-hot-chic; *I’m* the funny-nerdy-chic." Willow half whined.   
  
Buffy was about to speak when she felt Spike’s hand worm its way around hers. She froze; her heart pounding erratically as he ran his thumb over her skin for a subtle caress.   
  
“Hum… I…" She drew a blank, all of her nerve endings focusing on the circular motion of his finger.   
  
Thankfully, the school bell rang and she was snapped out of it.   
  
“We better go luv, don’t want to get on Mrs. Kennedy’s bad side." Spike uttered tilting his head.   
  
“What? Hum… Yeah… Right." She mumbled confused.   
  
“Bye, guys. See you later." Spike called out as he walked down the hall dragging a stunned Buffy by the hand.   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 23   
  
Buffy nervously tapped her pencil on her desk as she rapidly skimmed through the pages of her textbook. Occasionally, she’d throw a glance at the bleached teen sitting next to her, but she’d quickly look back down to bury her gaze in the small black letters in front of her.   
  
They hadn’t spoken a word after they had left the gang to head for class. They’d simply walked down the hall; her small hand wrapped in his until they reached their destination and entered the room to take their seats.   
  
Buffy jumped up when she felt something lightly brush over her shoulder.   
  
Spike immediately retracted the offending hand and looked at her from under a frown:   
  
“Are you ok, Summers?" He asked.   
  
“I-I’m fine." She quickly answered staring back down at her book.   
  
The bell rang causing her to jolt up again.   
  
“Oh, you’re just fine." Spike mocked sarcastically in a low voice as all the students around them started standing and packing their things.   
  
‘God, this is so weird. What the hell is this?’ Buffy wondered closing her book and placing it in her backpack. Standing up, she continued her mental babbling: ‘Is this like official? Are we dating? Or is this just… What the *hell* is this? What are-‘   
  
Buffy’s thoughts froze as she felt a strong arm worm itself around her waist. She looked up to see Spike picking up his notepad and pencil before glancing at her.   
  
“Ready?" He asked.   
  
He looked so at ease, so comfortable. Maybe he knew what the hell it was that they had between them. Buffy swallowed hard and nodded before they walked out of the classroom together.   
  
“So, are you gonna tell me why you’re all jumpy?" He questioned, tilting his head as he looked at her.   
  
It took a while for Buffy to process the information as her mind still dwelled on the thumb that was hooked on her denim skirt and the arm, which came attached to it.   
  
“Sorry, I didn’t hear- Ah!" She cried out as someone crashed straight into them.   
  
When she regained her balance she looked down to see Andrew on the floor, desperately trying to scramble up to his feet.   
  
“Are you ok?" Spike asked Buffy. When she nodded, he turned his attention to the nerdy boy that had already managed to stand up.   
  
When he finished gathering his things, Andrew looked up at the blonde couple; a hint of fear in his eyes.   
  
“I-I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to- I’m- I-I was running and I-“ He stuttered wildly.   
  
“It’s ok. Don’t worry." Buffy quickly reassured him. She frowned when she saw the fear in Andrew’s eyes was mostly directed at Spike. Her gaze travelled from the one boy to the other, trying to decipher what ever it was that they were silently communicating through their eyes.   
  
Suddenly, Andrew was off, running through the crowd of teenagers, leaving a stunned Buffy behind. She looked up to find Spike still looking into the distance, after Andrew.   
  
“What was that all about?" She questioned.   
  
That seemed to snap Spike out of his thoughts. Shaking his head he looked down at Buffy and shrugged:   
  
“Beats me, luv."   
  
Buffy furrowed her brow, not convinced by his answer. She was about to say something when he wormed his fingers between hers taking her hand into his and pulling her down the hall.   
  
~+~   
  
Xander dropped his tray on the table and let out a frustrated groan.   
  
“Meatloaf! Yummy!" He said with fake enthusiasm.   
  
“God! That thing looks like it’s been rotting for weeks." Cordelia said disgusted as she brought her hand to cover her mouth.   
  
“I know this is gonna sound very weird, but I’m gonna say it anyway." Willow warned. “I agree with Cordy."   
  
“Well, I’m hungry. I can’t just eat a bar of chocolate like you two." He said pointing at Willow and Cordelia with his fork before digging into his food.   
  
“Hey guys!" Buffy greeted as she and Spike took their seat on the table.   
  
“You guys are risking eating that?" Cordelia asked pointing at Buffy and Spike’s plates.   
  
“Don’t have a choice. Didn’t eat breakfast." Buffy shrugged and inhaled sharply before picking up her fork. She jumped up when she felt someone kick her under the table.   
  
She frowned and looked up at Spike when she realised the pleasantry had come from him. He simply glared at her with a semi-angry look.   
  
“What?!" She quipped.   
  
“You’re too skinny. You gotta eat better." He mumbled before shovelling a piece of the meatloaf into his mouth.   
  
Buffy frowned, but inside a tingling feeling took over her stomach. ‘He’s worried about my eating habits?’   
  
“Where’s Oz?" Spike asked between bites.   
  
“Rehearsing for the party on Saturday." Willow answered brightly.   
  
“Party?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“Homecoming?" Xander tried to remind her.   
  
“What about homecoming?" The petite blond continued in the dark.   
  
“The party that Cordy gives every year after the homecoming dance. This year we get to go, since I’m dating the beautiful hostess." Xander explained as he leaned in to give the brunette sitting next to him a quick peck on the cheek.   
  
“And Oz’s band is playing." Willow quickly added enthusiastically.   
  
“Oh… right."   
  
“I really don’t feel like going to the dance. I mean, who thinks of those horrible decorations?" Cordelia cringed at the thought. “But I guess I have to be there to accept my crown." She sighed audibly.   
  
“Don’t worry, honey. It’s not your fault you’re so damn sexy." Xander winked at her.   
  
Buffy stared blindly at her plate, her face cringing at the sight of the ungodly mush.   
  
“Quit shoving your food around and eat." Spike said noticing she had barely eaten anything.   
  
“Suddenly, I’m not that hungry." She grumbled pushing her tray away from her.   
  
“You have to-“ The Brit started but Buffy quickly cut him off.   
  
“Spike! Forget it, I’m not eating *that*." She said pointing at her plate with disdain.   
  
“Buffy-“ Spike stopped in mid sentence when he felt someone run a finger down his chiselled cheek.   
  
Everyone’s jaw practically fell off when they turned to see Dru leaning on the table right next to Spike.   
  
After the initial shock, the bleached teen lightly nodded as he muttered:   
  
“Dru…"   
  
“Missed you at the Bronze on Friday. You took off so quickly. You silly bad boy. You know you shouldn’t run out on a girl like that." She looked at him from under hooded eyes as she lightly slapped him on the forearm, her fingers lingering there afterwards.   
  
“Hum… Sorry bout that, I…" Spike trailed off and simply started up at her.   
  
“Well, I hope you don’t do that again at the Homecoming dance. I would be very-“   
  
“Hey! Vapid ho! You wanted something?" Buffy’s angered tone cut her off.   
  
“Oh… Hi, Buffy." Dru practically spat the blonde’s name, giving her a dirty look. “I didn’t see you there."   
  
“Yeah, well - I’m here." Buffy put on a plastic smile and tilted her head at the black haired girl.   
  
Dru looked her up and down and then turned her attentions back to the teen next to her, ignoring Buffy.   
  
“So, Spike… About homecoming…"   
  
Buffy’s hand came flying out of nowhere and Dru suddenly found herself covered in a brownish mush which slowly dripped its way down her long raven hair.   
  
“Buffy!" Spike quickly jumped to his feet.   
  
“Oh, my God!" Dru cried out in horror as she desperately tried to get the thick, slimy mixture out of her hair.   
  
“Buffy, what are you doing?" Spike asked as he awkwardly tried to help Dru by handing her all the available napkins.   
  
“I’m doing what she was asking for." Buffy growled as she began reaching for her tray once again.   
  
Spike caught her action out of the corner of his eye and snatched her wrist in a tight grip.   
  
“Stop it!" He ordered.   
  
Buffy looked up at him in disbelief.   
  
“You’re taking *her* side?"   
  
“Buffy, I-“   
  
She never gave him a chance to answer. With a violent move of her hand she freed herself from his grip and marched out of the cafeteria.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy furiously stomped her feet on the floor as she walked her way home. Four hours had passed since the cafeteria *incident* but she could still feel her blood boiling in her veins. ‘He took her side! I can’t believe he took her side. Bastard!’ She cursed him in her mind as she turned into Revello Drive. She was shoving her hand into the pocket of her backpack to grip the keys when she looked up to find *his* car parked in her driveway. She stopped dead in her tracks as the rage made her stomach turn. She took in a deep breath and continued to walk towards her house.   
  
She ignored him when she saw him exit the car and start moving towards her.   
  
“Buffy!" He called out when she walked past him and jogged up the steps of the front porch.   
  
Angrily, she shoved the keys into the lock, blocking out his words, entering and quickly slamming the door in his face.   
  
“Ow!" She heard him howl as the wood hit him right in the nose. “Bloody hell!" He grumbled opening the door and entering the house. “Summers!" He called out again.   
  
But she refused to acknowledge him, climbing to her room, taking the steps two at a time while he quickly followed her. She entered her room and proceeded to do the same thing she had done with the front door of the house, but this time he was prepared, bringing his foot up to keep the wood from crashing into his face.   
  
“We have to talk." He stared.   
  
“Do you mind? I’m trying to get dressed here!" She grumbled taking off her shoes.   
  
“Oh, sorry!" He mumbled, quickly stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.   
  
He stood outside for what seemed like an eternity.   
  
“Pet, are you done yet?" He asked exasperated, but had no answer. “Summers…?"   
  
Once more there was silence. He swallowed hard and slowly moved to open the door, sneaking his head in. He frowned when he found her lying on the bed, idly flipping through a magazine, wearing the exact same clothes she had for school that day, minus her shoes.   
  
“I thought you were getting dressed."   
  
“I was."   
  
“Then why are you wearing the same clothes?" He asked annoyed.   
  
“They’re not the same. They just look the same." She quipped skimming through the pages, never bothering to look up.   
  
“You did it again." He finally realised as he remembered her using the same ‘I’m getting undressed’ trick a few days before.   
  
“I don’t know what you are talking about." She replied apparently completely oblivious to him.   
  
Spike sighed audibly, closing the door behind him and moving towards the bed.   
  
“We need to talk." He repeated.   
  
“There’s nothing to talk about." She said with a forced smile, her eyes still buried between the pages.   
  
“There isn’t?"   
  
“Nope." She let the magazine drop to the floor as she stood up. “You’re an idiot." She continued with a fake good humour as she walked around him and exited her room.   
  
“I’m an idiot?" He asked raising an eyebrow as he followed her.   
  
She never answered, simply went down the stairs and into the kitchen.   
  
“And pray tell, why am I an idiot?" He questioned as he leaned on the doorframe.   
  
Buffy chuckled sarcastically as she took out a glass and poured orange juice into it.   
  
“You shouldn’t have done it." Spike tried to rationalize.   
  
She took a sip from the juice and proceeded with ignoring him as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.   
  
He groaned and rolled his eyes, searching for control as he trailed after her to find her sitting on the couch, flipping trough the channels.   
  
“Summers, why are you acting this way?"   
  
That did it. The anger which had been bobbling up in her finally spilled into her angered words:   
  
“You took *her* side!" She cried out glaring daggers at him before looking back to the TV set.   
  
“What was I supposed to do? Just let you pour your entire lunch down Dru’s shirt?" He exclaimed.   
  
“That was an option." She muttered between clenched teeth as her angry finger violently punched the buttons on the remote, her narrowed eyes glaring at the images coming from the TV.   
  
“Buffy, will you just look at me? I’m trying to talk." He exhaled.   
  
“I don’t *want* to talk." She replied, never so much as giving him a glance.   
  
Suddenly, Spike snatched the remote from her hands and turned off the TV.   
  
“Well, I do." He growled.   
  
“Give me that!" She ordered outstretching her hand.   
  
“After we talk this through you can watch telly for as long as you bloody please. But now *we* are gonna talk about his." He growled at her.   
  
She stared angrily at him before standing up.   
  
“Well you can just forget-“ She was yanked back down and forced to sit by Spike’s strong grip on her forearm.   
  
“Buffy!" He snarled.   
  
“Fine! Talk all you want. I’m not listening." She replied crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“Will you stop acting like the spoiled little brat you are and just tell me what’s going on?"   
  
“You took her side. *That’s* what going on! Why the hell are you even here? I’d think you’d be with the anorexic vampire wannabe right about now." She started as she stood up and began walking about in the room.   
  
“What are you talking about? I just did what I thought was the right thing. You were out of line, Buffy." He augmented standing from his place on the couch.   
  
“Was I? She was throwing herself at you and you were drooling all over her." He was about to say something but she brought her hand up to silence him and she quickly continued: “And I know you are gonna say this is about me being jealous. Well, guess what? It’s not! It’s about me and the entire school seeing that you still have feelings for her an-and-“ She came to a halt as the anger seemed to erase all the words from her mind. “God, what the hell do you see in her? You talk about me and Angel and that I’m a masochist for still wanting him, but you’re the exact same thing! You’re even worse. You were actually drooling. You were- you were… God! I hate this! I hate not being able to say what I wanna say… I-I"   
  
Spike slowly started walking towards her causing her to immediately take a step back. The few seconds that had gone by had helped her get a grip on herself and her thoughts. Her voice now was low and cold as she spoke.   
  
“This is *not* about jealousy. *This* is about you and Dru making a fool of me in that cafeteria in front of *my* friends." She paused looking up at him, taking deep breaths to keep from exploding.   
  
“Buffy, I didn’t do anything. I was just talking to her. What was I supposed to do? Just ignore her."   
  
At his words the anger came crashing back down on her and she suddenly yelled:   
  
“And what was I supposed to do? Just stand there while some skinny ho is batting her eyes and making the moves on my boyfriend?"   
  
The two of them froze. She’d said it. The word they had danced around for the last couple of days – she’d said it.   
  
“What did you say?" It was a mere whisper.   
  
“Hum… My boy- I-I mean… You know, other people who-who think you and-and I are…" She tried to cover, bringing a trembling hand to brush away a few loose strand of her hair as she slowly backed away from him.   
  
“Of course." He agreed, but he continued to close the distance between them, his eyes narrowed.   
  
“Right. So… “ She held her breath when she felt the wall against her back, her eyes glued to the floor. “… that’s why I… did the…" She was at a lost for words when she looked up at him.   
  
“…Pouring of meatloaf all over Dru." He completed her sentence as he took another step and closed the distance between them.   
  
Her heart raced as if it wanted to leap out of her chest when he leaned in.   
  
“Well!" She suddenly clapped her hands together, startling him for just long enough to slip away from him. “That’s all-“   
  
She let out a small cry when suddenly she found herself being turned around as Spike held a strong grip on her arm.   
  
“Why do you keep running?" He whispered.   
  
“I-I’m not running." She tried to laugh, but it came out as a forced chuckle when he gruffly pulled her closer to him; her chest crushed against his, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. “Let go…" She demanded unconvincingly.   
  
“Are you sure that’s what you want, Summers?" He asked with a semi-cocky grin on his face, their closeness was getting to him and he didn’t know how much longer he would be able to restrain himself.   
  
She opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out, so she nodded weakly. Her heart sank when she felt him loosen his grip on her and step away. They stood there, in silence, looking at each other.   
  
“Well, I guess we-“ She began, slowly turning away from him, when she heard him mutter.   
  
“Oh, bloody hell!"   
  
“Wha-“   
  
Spike was suddenly all over her, never giving her a chance to finish. His arms wrapped themselves around her, his hands erratically moved over her back, her thighs in a desperate attempt to get her closer to him, while his mouth came down to claim hers in a demanding kiss.   
  
After the momentary surprise she managed to push him away, just enough so she could ask:   
  
“Spike…" She swallowed hard as his lips attacked her neck, placing a series of open-mouth kissed on the tender flesh there. “What are you… doing?" She breathed.   
  
With his face still buried in her throat he answered her directly in a husky, low voice:   
  
“What I’ve been wanting to do since Saturday."   
  
And then his mouth was on hers, never giving her a chance to answer as his tongue slipped between her lips to join hers in a tug of war. Spike pressed against her, backing her up against the couch until her legs reached the edge of the sofa and she was tipped over, bringing the black-clad teen down with her.   
  
Buffy’s hands flew under the lapels of his duster and successfully pulled the item off him as they continued to kiss. Spike’s own fingers quickly found their way to the edge of Buffy’s denim skirt and tugged it upwards as they travelled up her tanned legs.   
  
‘Oh, my God! What am I doing? We’re doing it again. Oh, God! Oh, God!’ she thought over and over again but, apparently, her body refused to follow her mind and all its doubts. Quite on the contrary, every fibre in her seemed to know exactly what to do as her fingers quickly unbuttoned his shirt, leaving his chest bare and exposed to her nails.   
  
Spike let out a rough growl when he felt her graze her way down his abdomen to the waistband of his jeans. Her small fingers duelled with the belt buckle there while his own hand slipped under her sweater and pulled it upwards until it was over her head and discarded to the floor. He gasped when he saw her, laying under him, flushed face, glassy eyes focussed on the buttons of his jeans, her small breasts covered in nothing but a small lacy bra. Only then did he realise he had never seen her naked. The other night… she had managed to keep her nightgown on the entire time. ‘God, she looks-Bloody hell!’ He cursed in his thoughts, his eyes rolling back in their sockets when he felt her fingers encircle him. He braced himself on his forearms, on each side of her head as she began to slowly pump him.   
  
She watched, amazed, as he occasionally let out small moans with his eyes closed and his teeth clenched only serving to sharpen his chiselled features. Slowly, he seemed to recover from the initial shock and was able to start moving.   
  
It was Buffy’s turn to gasp when he leaned down and brushed his lips over her neck, while his fingers slipped between her legs. He languorously traced small circles on his way up her inner thigh until he reached the edge of her panties. Never giving her a chance to prepare he pushed the thin layer to the side and drove one long finger into her.   
  
“Ah!" Buffy gasped closing her eyes and arching her neck into his mouth.   
  
They both stopped for a moment and then began slowly moving their hands again. A mixture of moaned and muffled cries escaped them both as they rocked against each other’s fingers, pulling and pushing in a slow, mind-numbing pace.   
  
As the desire grew inside of her, Buffy’s free hand came to push his away from her core, while the other lazily guided him to her entrance.   
  
“Oh, God… Buffy…" Her name tumbled from his lips, when he felt her moist folds brush against the tip of his cock. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, pondering how to tell her…   
  
When he refused to move his hips and slip inside of her, Buffy let out a frustrated moan and rocked her hips against his. Spike immediately rested his hands on her thighs pulling them down and away from him.   
  
Buffy frowned and tried to look at him, but his face was still pressed against her neck. She patiently waited for him to gather himself, and remained still, watching him pull deep pants from his lungs.   
  
“I don’t have any." He grumbled frustrated.   
  
“What?"   
  
Spike moved to look down at her.   
  
“Condoms, luv… Didn’t get a chance to buy any." He explained as he sat up and began tucking himself into his pants.   
  
“But… We can…" Buffy started but trailed off.   
  
They sat on the couch in silence, until Spike’s awkward voice was heard:   
  
“I-I can go… buy some?" He half expected her to shout a string of curses at him or something, but when he didn’t hear a sound from her, he dared to look at her.   
  
“You could…" She trailed off.   
  
In a flash he was up and picking up his duster.   
  
“Be back in a second." He breathed, giving her a light peck on the lips before rushing out the door.   
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 24   
  
Buffy anxiously bit her nails as she looked out the window. What was taking him so long… Grrr! She let out a frustrated sigh and moved to plop down on the couch. The moment she reached for the remote, the roaring of a car engine reached her ears and her heart jumped up to her throat. She immediately scrambled to her feet and hurried to the door almost crashing into a breathless teen in the process.   
  
“Spike!" She exclaimed taking a step back and gathering herself.   
  
He flashed her a wicked grin and slid his way closer to her. Giving her a dazed look from under hooded lids he snaked his hand into the pocket of his duster as he slurred:   
  
“I’ve got the con-“   
  
“Hello, Spike!"   
  
He froze when he heard Mrs. Summers voice coming from the kitchen.   
  
“-tacts." He made up on the spot as he finally realised that Buffy’s apprehension was due to her mother’s arrival and not his.   
  
“Contacts?" The older woman questioned, while Spike turned to face her.   
  
She stood in the kitchen, a plate in one had, a towel in the other and a sincere smile on her lips.   
  
“You’re near-sighted or something?" She asked.   
  
“Yes!" Spike answered just as Buffy piped up: “No!"   
  
Mrs. Summers frowned.   
  
“Which one is it?"   
  
The two blondes exchanged a desperate look and Buffy quickly blurted out:   
  
“Well, it’s… hum… You know how boys are. He… He’s always wanted to have brown eyes, so he decided to get contact lens, but… hum… he doesn’t want to admit it! So… hum… the right one would be…No, he’s not near-sighted, just vain."   
  
Spike cocked up a scarred eyebrow at her barely comprehensible babble.   
  
“Oh…" Mrs. Summers frowned but returned to her dishes.   
  
“What are you doing?" Spike mouthed at Buffy, but immediately stood up straight when the older woman turned to face him once again.   
  
“You know, Spike… You don’t have to change just to please people. You should accept who you are and not let yourself be intimidated by what other people might think of you or your… choices." Mrs. Summers spoke calmly, a hint of compassion in her eyes.   
  
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Summers. I know what I want." He answered glancing towards Buffy, causing her to blush furiously.   
  
“Well… good for you Spike." Mrs. Summers gave him a soft smile and retuned to her dishwashing.   
  
A moment filtered by before Buffy spoke:   
  
“Well, Spike and I are gonna head up to my room for a while."   
  
“Ok, honey."   
  
The two teens began climbing up the stairs when Mrs. Summers’ voice reached them:   
  
“Spike? Are you staying for dinner?"   
  
“No, Mrs. Summers. My father wants me to be home early today. We’re going out for dinner, do some father-son bonding." Spike explained.   
  
Mrs. Summers simply nodded and the teen scurrying up the stairs after Buffy into her room.   
  
She let herself drop on the mattress with a loud thud.   
  
“What the hell was that all about?" The Brit asked still a bit rattled by the whole situation.   
  
“My mom giving you gay-friendly advice." She explained with a smirk, but it soon faded when she saw the not-so-happy look on his face. “What?"   
  
“Do I give off some kind of… gay vibe or something?" He questioned with a serious face. When Buffy’s eyebrow furrowed he elaborated: “It’s just that even my da is starting with the same little speeches your mom just gave me back there."   
  
“Your father?"   
  
Spike nodded as he slouched on the chair next to the desk.   
  
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the black nail polish that’s giving off that vibe." Buffy teased.   
  
“Ha-ha, Summers." He forced a plastic smile on his face. “I’m not kidding here."   
  
“I know… I’m sorry." She quickly apologized.   
  
“My da sat me down for two whole hours yesterday talking to me about the importance of finding out *who* I am and not letting my search be threatened by other people’s opinion of who I should be." Spike grumbled resting his head between his hands and letting out a frustrated sigh.   
  
“Ouch!" Buffy sympathised.   
  
He mumbled something unintelligible between his lips before standing up straight and looking at Buffy’s alarm clock.   
  
“Well… I better be going. Don’t want my da to think I forgot about him." He started as he walked over to the door.   
  
“But I thought that…" She trailed off as the flush started to creep up her neck to her cheeks, but then said in a frustrated attempt to sound nonchalant: “… it was an excuse… not wanting to have dinner with my mom and all."   
  
“Unfortunately, it’s not an excuse. I just remembered when I went out for… hum…" It was Spike’s turn to slightly blush.   
  
“Oh, right." Buffy replied with a hint of disappointment as she stood up and followed him.   
  
She almost bumped into him when he came to an abrupt stop right at her door before turning on his heels to face her.   
  
“I don’t look gay, right? Maybe I should lose the bleach." He offered pointing at his hair.   
  
“No!" Buffy answered straightaway and a little too enthusiastic. She blushed when she saw his trademark smirk curl the corners of his mouth as he took a step closer to her.   
  
“No?" He slurred.   
  
“I-I like the… hair." She stuttered awkwardly. God, why was it that every time he looked at her like that it made it almost impossible for her to say a complete sentence without stammering like an idiot.   
  
“You do?" He continued to speak in a low voice as his hand came to rest on her hips and began to make small circle shapes there.   
  
She held her breath for a few seconds and then nodded.   
  
“What about the duster? Want me to get rid of that?" He asked tilting his head sideways.   
  
“No." She breathed. “I like that to."   
  
“What else do you like, pet?" He muttered as he nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck, nibbling at it and leaving small bite marks on his way up to her jaw line.   
  
“That." She answered between pants.   
  
She scolded herself when she felt him smile against her skin, but her thoughts soon pooled away in a hazy mist when she felt his hand worm down her leg to slip under her denim skirt before climbing back up her inner thighs.   
  
“We never got to finish…" He whispered as he took her earlobe into his mouth to nibble at it while his hand teasingly brushed over the cotton fabric of her panties.   
  
“We can’t… My mom…" she started with her usual denial.   
  
She gasped for air and almost lost her balance when he stepped away and his hands and mouth abandoned her.   
  
“What?" She breathed as she opened her eyes.   
  
“You’re right." He said with a cocky smile. “Better not do anything with mom here. I gotta go anyway. Bye, Summers." And with that he was gone.   
  
“What?" She repeated still stunned over the ease with which he had pulled away from her. This was wrong. She was the one supposed to pull away from *him*.   
  
~+~   
  
Spike winced when he took his place at the driver’s seat; the tightness in his pants becoming growingly painful. He wondered where he had gotten the strength to walk out on her and rolled his eyes before starting the ignition.   
  
“Get yourself together. Can’t let her know she’s got you in the palm of her hand. Time for her to make a move." He told himself out loud before driving off.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy shoved her food around in her plate completely oblivious to the conversation going on around her at the table.   
  
“What do you think, Buffy?" Was the only thing she heard as she was snapped out of her thoughts.   
  
“Huh?" She shook her head for a moment, before she looked up at the redhead sitting opposite her.   
  
“About going shopping today?" Willow repeated.   
  
“Oh… sure." Buffy answered unenthusiastically.   
  
“Buffy, are you ok?" She asked a bit concerned with her best friend’s almost lethargic state.   
  
“I’m fine." Buffy replied returning her attention to her plate.   
  
“Hey pretty ladies!" Xander’s familiar voice reached the table as he set his tray next to Willow’s.   
  
Buffy looked up, uninterested and simply nodded.   
  
“What’s up with the Buffster?" The boy asked Willow who simply shrugged.   
  
“Nothing’s up, Xander. I’m just a bit…" Buffy frowned when she looked up, pass Xander’s shoulder, to see Spike talking to Andrew for a few moments before the two parted ways and the bleached teen walked over to their table.   
  
“Hey." He greeted taking his seat next to Buffy and giving her a light peck on the cheek.   
  
“Hey, bleach-boy. Not serving as a guinea pig for today’s lunch experiment?" Xander asked bringing a fork full of the unrecognisable substance into his mouth.   
  
“No, thank you." Spike winced looking at the plate in front of him. “I’ve got some things I have to take care of. Just came by to see what you guys were up to."   
  
Buffy watched as the two teens exchanged friendly banter but her mind was still fixed on the image of Spike and Andrew speaking. What was going on with those two?   
  
She blinked a couple of times in surprise when Spike leaned in to give her a quick peck once again before standing up.   
  
“See you guys tomorrow."   
  
“Tomorrow?" Buffy frowned. “You’re skipping school this afternoon?"   
  
“Told you. Got stuff to do." He explained.   
  
“What stuff?" She insisted, not letting him walk away.   
  
“Just stuff, pet." He leaned in pressing his lips against her forehead and left.   
  
“What the hell was that all about?" Buffy wondered out loud wrinkling her forehead.   
  
Xander was about to make some smart-ass comment, but was prevented when he felt Willow kick him under the table. She knew Buffy well enough to know this wasn’t time for jokes.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy and Willow idly walked through the large corridors of the mall, occasionally throwing a glance at the passing shops.   
  
“So…" Willow started with a bit of hesitation.   
  
Buffy simply looked at her best friend and waited for her to ask whatever she had been trying to ask ever since they had left school.   
  
“You and Spike… We-we never really got a chance to-to… you know… girl-talk about it." Willow awkwardly stammered.   
  
The blonde took in a deep breath, not knowing exactly what to tell her. She missed talking to Willow. Somehow, talking to her made everything so much clearer. She wanted to tell her about the whole arrangement but… she’d promised Spike – not a word.   
  
“What do you want to know?"   
  
“I-I don’t know. I mean, you hated each other just up to a couple of weeks ago and now all of a sudden you’re an item?" Willow said in one breath. It was clear she had practiced her questions about a million times before actually approaching Buffy on the subject.   
  
“I know. Weird, huh?" There was a moment of silence. God, she really needed to talk to someone about this. “In the beginning… it was more about getting back at Dru and Angel, you know?"   
  
Willow nodded and she continued:   
  
“But then… I don’t know, it all happened so fast. Suddenly the extremely infuriating grin wasn’t that infuriating, the bleach wasn’t that unattractive, the accent was actually turning me on… I just don’t know." Buffy rambled out loud.   
  
Willow smiled looking at her friend out of the corner of her eyes. Buffy paused for a second, sitting down on a nearby bench; the redhead mimicked her action, waiting patiently for her to continue.   
  
“Oh, what the hell!" Buffy suddenly exhaled and looked straight at Willow. “I can’t take it anymore. I mean you’re my best friend and I’m supposed to be able to tell you everything, right?" Willow nodded. “Ok, here goes…" She took in a deep breath before continuing: “Spike and I made a deal. A pact. We decided to pretend being together so that Dru and Angel would get jealous and decide to come back to us… Separately! You know Dru to Spike and Angel to me?" She blurted.   
  
Willow looked wide-eyed at her best friend, her mouth opening and closing for a couple of times, unable to speak.   
  
“You and Spike aren’t really together? It’s all part of a plan?" She finally managed to ask.   
  
“No, see that’s my big problem. I don’t know."   
  
“Huh? I’m not quite following, Buffy." Willow gave her an apologetic frown.   
  
“We had the plan, right. First it was supposed to be just holding hands and normal, non-touchy stuff. But then we realised it wasn’t working and that we had to get a bit more… physical in order to fool everyone, and so eventually that lead to touching and kissing and groping and apparently we both developed some *major* pent up sexual tension towards one another." Buffy paused for a second, giving Willow the time to register all the information.   
  
“So all the kissing and moaning and getting caught doing *it* in a classroom was fake?"   
  
“We weren’t doing *it*, Willow. We were just… trying to see if I could get over the ‘yuck’ factor of kissing him, which, unfortunately, I seemed to have surpassed quite easily." Buffy nervously picked at her backpack which rested on her knees.   
  
“Oh…" Willow suddenly realised. “And now you have feelings for Spike and he doesn’t… respond?"   
  
“Not really." Buffy hesitated. “He actually does *respond*… hum and little too well."   
  
Willow frowned: “Ok, you need to fill in the blanks now."   
  
“Remember the Bronze? Last Friday… when Oz played? Yeah, well… I was sort of..."   
  
“Drunk?" Willow offered.   
  
“Yes… So Spike took me home and-“   
  
“Oh, my God, Buffy! He didn’t take advantage of you or anything, did he?" Willow squeaked a bit worried.   
  
  
  
“Not exactly… He took care of me even though, even after I threw up on him."   
  
“Yew!"   
  
“Yeah, not one of my best moments, I’ll admit. Anyway… things started… hum… evolving and…" Buffy hesitated throwing a glance at Willow before blurting: “SpikeandIslepttogether."   
  
“What?!" Willow exclaimed causing a couple of heads to turn and look at them. The redhead blushed furiously and leaning in to whisper: “What?"   
  
“We did the wild thing, Willow." Buffy muttered.   
  
“Oh…"   
  
A moment of silence passed before Willow dared to ask.   
  
“Well, what about now?"   
  
“That’s the million dollar question now, isn’t it?"   
  
“D-do you… like him?"   
  
Buffy paused for a second and then dropped her head to her hands, her fingers furiously running through her hair.   
  
“I don’t know." She answered exasperated.   
  
“Well, does he… you know… like you?"   
  
“Another big question mark for that one too." Buffy grumbled into her hands.   
  
“Well, didn’t you guys talk about it or anything? I mean… You have to have said something after the… hum… event." Willow insisted.   
  
“Not really. We were both so tired that we just fell asleep."   
  
“What about the dreadful morning after?" Willow enquired.   
  
“Mom came home. You don’t want to know how we got out of that one." Buffy looked up from her hands and with a smirk continued: “My mom thinks he’s my new gay-best-friend."   
  
“Your mom thinks Spike’s gay?" Willow asked with wide eyes.   
  
“Yep." She nodded sitting up straight and glancing around the mall. “So anyway, Monday came and we never got a chance to talk about it and then there was the whole Dru incident." Buffy ground her teeth together at the memory.   
  
“Were you jealous?" Willow uttered.   
  
Buffy immediately shot her a dirty look.   
  
“No!"   
  
“Are you sure?" Willow insisted. “Then why’d you give Dru the lunch shower?"   
  
“The two of them were flirting in front of everyone! They were making a fool of me!" Buffy exclaimed.   
  
“Buffy… It’s me… Willow?"   
  
“Ok, fine so I was a bit jealous…" Buffy grumbled burying her face in her hands once more. “God, I hate this! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!"   
  
“Why don’t you just ask Spike?"   
  
“Ask him what?" Buffy frowned.   
  
“If he likes you."   
  
“Oh, no! No way in *hell*, ever! No, no, no!" Buffy insisted standing up to tower over Willow, who was still sitting on the bench. “Why should I ask him?"   
  
“Because it’s eating you up, that’s why." Willow explained the obvious.   
  
“Well, I’m not!" Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.   
  
“It’s your choice, Buffy."   
  
“Yes, it is! Thank you. Now let’s go by those damn dresses and get out of here." Buffy grumbled stalking off.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy scurried through the hall, scanning the crowd looking for a familiar bleached head between the dozens of teens zooming pass her.   
  
“Hey, Buffy!" Willow greeted falling into stride with her.   
  
“Hey, Wills!"   
  
“So, did your mom like your dress?" Willow questioned hugging her books against her chest as they quickly made their way down the corridor.   
  
“She loved it. Said I looked beautiful in black and then started crying."   
  
“Huh?"   
  
“You know, came down with the whole ‘You’re growing up so quickly and soon you won’t be my little girl anymore’ speech. If she’s like this over homecoming I can imagine how she’ll be for prom." Buffy sighed as she continued down the hall.   
  
“Hum… Buffy, why are we practically running around in circles through the entire school?" Willow finally managed to ask when she started getting a little out of breath. “Are we looking for someone?"   
  
“No." Buffy quickly answered coming to a halt next to her locker. “I just needed to get a few things from my locker."   
  
“Right and for that you always need to walk past it about three times." Willow noted sarcastically, raising a suspicious eyebrow. “Come on Buffy, admit it. You’re looking for him."   
  
“I’m not- Oh, my God! What happened to you?!" Buffy immediately slammed the door to her locker and walked past Willow towards Spike.   
  
Willow’s eyes widened when she saw the Brit. He had a small cut in the corner of his mouth and a purplish bruise over his left cheekbone.   
  
“Fell down some stairs." Spike winced when Buffy ran her hand over his wounded cheek.   
  
“Does it hurt?" Willow asked the obvious.   
  
“What do you think, Red? Ouch!" Spike cried out when he tried to raise his eyebrow, pulling at his tender muscle.   
  
“You fell down some stairs? That’s the best you could come up with?" Buffy asked when the fear in her subsided and the anger started to replace it.   
  
“What?!" Spike grumbled.   
  
“What have you-“ She didn’t have to finish her question when, out of the corner of her eyes she saw a badly battered Angel slumped against the row of lockers; a very worried Dru running her hands over his marred face, much in the same fashion Buffy had just done to Spike. “You fought Angel?!" She asked in disbelief, her eyes going from one teenager to the other.   
  
Spike never answered.   
  
“What the *hell* is happening Spike?" Buffy demanded. “Why have you and Angel been fighting?"   
  
When the bleached teen remained silent she continued:   
  
“What were you guys fighting over?"   
  
“Luv, I don’t want to get into this now." Spike finally spoke.   
  
“Well, when did this happen?"   
  
“Luv, not now."   
  
“But-“   
  
“Buffy! Just let it go, ok?"   
  
She froze. It had been the first time he had ever raised his voice at her; the look in his eyes sending shivers down her spine. She was so shocked she didn’t even hear the bell ring. Her gaze remained fixed on the boy standing in front of her even as the rest of the teens began to disband and walk to their respective classes. She was snapped out of her daze by Willow’s soft touch.   
  
“Buffy, we better go or we’ll be late." She heard the redhead call her.   
  
She narrowed her eyes at Spike and nodded:   
  
“Let’s go."   
  
Turning on her heels she walked down the hall and into one of the classrooms after Willow.   
  
“Bloody hell!" Spike growled kicking the locker he had been leaning on before stalking off.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy leaned on the front door of the vehicle, patiently wanting for its owner to arrive. She felt her heart jump to her throat when she saw him.   
  
Spike froze in mid stride when he looked up to see her. Taking a deep breath he continued his approach.   
  
“Hey…" Buffy said in a weak voice as she stepped away from the door.   
  
“Hey." He greeted back.   
  
A moment of silence passed between them but Buffy eventually broke it.   
  
“I’m sorry for freaking out over the mashed face." She said pointing at his face.   
  
“I’m sorry I shouted at you."   
  
“Considering I’ve done that about a million times I guess you’re allowed one yell. But just one!" She quickly added raising her index finder.   
  
“I’ll try and remember that, luv." Spike tried to smile but quickly regretted it as he felt the wound on his lips start to open.   
  
“Are you ok?" She asked worriedly stepping closer to him and resting her hand under his ear to turn his face towards her.   
  
“I’m fine." He answered trying to push back the urge to wince when she ran her finger over the gash.   
  
“Did you even disinfect that?" She question with a disapproving look.   
  
“Yes."   
  
“Liar."   
  
“I washed it." He defended himself.   
  
“Not quite the same effect as disinfecting it." Buffy retorted as she walked around the car.   
  
“Where’re you going?"   
  
“You’re gonna drive me home so I can clean that up." She informed him as she opened the car door and entered the vehicle.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 25   
  
They entered the kitchen in complete silence. Buffy pointed at the stool near the isle and Spike took a seat while she opened one of the top cabinets and reached for a first aid kit. She set in on the white surface and opened it; inside there were bandages, some cotton, a pair of scissors and three small bottles– a white, a brown and a red one; Buffy’s fingers reached for the white one first and tilted it into a piece of cotton before leaving it on the counter.   
  
“This will sting a bit." She warned as she brushed over his broken lip with the white fibre.   
  
He winced for a second at the first contact, but didn’t say a word. As she worked on his injury, Buffy’s mind wondered over what had caused it. She wanted him to tell her, but she was afraid to ask, especially after his reluctance to talk about it at school.   
  
“There. I don’t know if this will work, since it’s already infected…" Buffy muttered, her eyes never leaving the small gash on the corner of his mouth as she reached for the brown bottle and poured part of its content onto another piece of cotton, staining it blood red.   
  
Once again she repeated the motions she had done just seconds before, slowly brushing over the wound.   
  
“Oh, stop being such a baby." She scolded him when he winced again.   
  
“Hey! It hurts." He protested, frowning.   
  
“That’s what you get for getting into stupid fights." She grumbled throwing the two pieces of cotton into the garbage and putting away the first aid kit.   
  
When she was finished tidying up she turned to face him, leaning on the counter, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him, still sitting on the stool next to the isle.   
  
“Is that all the damage?" She finally asked, desperate to break the awkward silence between them. Why was it that there were some many disconcerting pauses between them?   
  
“What?"   
  
“You’re face. Was that the only damage?" She questioned.   
  
“Why? You planning on nursing my other hidden wounds?" He started with a low voice and narrowed eyes as he let his tongue slide over his lips.   
  
“Erg! You’re disgusting." She mumbled looking down at the floor.   
  
“So you keep saying."   
  
They looked at each other for a second before he spoke. His voice was low and serious:   
  
“I’m sorry I yelled at you." He apologised.   
  
“It’s ok. I told you it’s fine." She tried to sound nonchalant about it as she turned around to look at the sink.   
  
In a flash, he was by her side, his fingers curled around her arms forcing her to face him.   
  
“I’m sorry." He repeated looking straight at her.   
  
She swallowed hard and nodded. She felt her knees threatening to buckle beneath her when his hand travelled from her arm to her neck and over her cheek, resting there as his thumb lightly brushed over her growingly flushed skin.   
  
“God, you’re so-“   
  
The two jumped up when they heard the phone ring. Awkwardly, Buffy scurried toward the living room, picking up the receiver.   
  
“Hello? Oh, hey mom. No, I wasn’t doing anything." She lied, watching from the corner of her eyes as Spike walked into the room.   
  
He sat on the couch and observed her as she twirled the cord between her fingers.   
  
“Oh, ok… No, it’s… um it’s fine. Have a good time. Bye." With a loud sigh she put the receiver back in place.   
  
“Why the upside down smile?"   
  
“That was my mom."   
  
“I gathered that much. She’s got a date, huh?"   
  
“Yes." She exhaled dropping on the couch next to him.   
  
“Still haven’t adjusted to the dating system?" Spike wondered.   
  
“Not, quite."   
  
Spike was about to say something when she cut him off.   
  
“If you say I’ll get used to it, I swear I will cut something off of you." She grumbled.   
  
Spike’s eyes widened.   
  
“I’m sorry." She apologised unenthusiastically. “It’s just that I know I won’t."   
  
“Wanna talk about it?"   
  
“No." She immediately answered and then looked up at him. “It’s just so weird, you know? My mom, going out with some random stranger. I mean, he could be a psycho for all she knows… O-or a gigolo!" She offered, to which Spike cocked up and eyebrow. “Ok, so not a gigolo, but a psycho, he-he could be a psycho. Do you know the kind of people who exist out there? Very, very bad people. Oh, my God my mother is dating a psycho." She said in shock.   
  
“Buffy, calm down. You’re mom is *not* dating a psycho." Spike reassured her.   
  
“How do you know?" She looked at him accusingly.   
  
“I don’t but-“   
  
“A-ha!" She piped up triumphantly.   
  
“Buffy…" He tilted his head sides and gave her a disapproving look.   
  
“I don’t want my mom to have a boyfriend. It’s yucky!" She pouted.   
  
Spike unconsciously wet ran his tongue over his lips as he watched her. She had no idea just how irresistible she looked when she did that.   
  
“What?" She asked when the staring became too uncomfortable. “Oh, my God! Do I have something coming out of my nose?" Her right hand immediately came up to cover her face.   
  
“No! You’re fine." He calmed her. “I was just…"   
  
“Staring?" She offered, letting her hand drop to her lap.   
  
A soft smile curved his lips as he continued to watch her.   
  
Buffy felt the butterflies flutter in her stomach under his heavy stare, when suddenly he was up.   
  
“I better go." He said all of a sudden.   
  
“Go? Why?" She questioned confused.   
  
“I got… stuff." He lied, he knew that if he stayed in that house for one more minute he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from kissing her and he had decided it was *her* turn to come after *him*.   
  
“Stuff? Again? What is it this time?" A hint of annoyance squeezed itself into her voice.   
  
“Just stuff."   
  
“Fine!" She grumbled as she started to storm off out of the room.   
  
“What do you mean fine?" He called after her.   
  
“What is it with these secrets all of a sudden? And don’t tell me there aren’t any. You walk around school talking to Andrew and then you skip classes saying you have stuff to do and the next day you show up with a purple face." She pointed at his cheekbone.   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“What’s happening?" She insisted.   
  
“I can’t tell you." He answered truthfully.   
  
“Why not?" She tried as hard as she could not to make it sound whiny and childish.   
  
“I just can’t."   
  
Buffy stared in disbelief at him.   
  
“I better go." He said walking over to the front door and letting himself out, leaving a frozen Buffy behind.   
  
~+~   
  
“And he just left me there going all ‘how in the hell did this just happen?’. One moment we were talking and the next he’s out the door." Buffy grumbled into the receiver. “I don’t know what’s happening. All of a sudden he’s gone all cryptic guy and-and…"   
  
“Breathe, Buffy, breathe." Willow coaxed.   
  
“I just feel all grrr." She growled into the phone.   
  
“Do you want me to come over?"   
  
“No thanks, Will. I’m sorry you have to listen to my constant moaning and groaning."   
  
“I like your moaning." Realising the possible interpretations of what she had just said Willow quickly added: “In a very non-gay way, of course."   
  
“Of course. Well, I better go to bed then."   
  
“It’s ten o’clock."   
  
“I know, but there is nothing else to do." Buffy yawned loudly just as she restarted saying her goodbye. “See you tomorrow, Wills."   
  
“Bye, Buffy."   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy rolled to her side and smashed her hand against the alarm clock. Grumbling something unintelligible she sat up on the bed, clumsily brushing away the wild strands of hair that covered her face. She practically jolted off the bed when she realised someone was sitting on the mattress right next to her.   
  
“God, mom! You scared me half to death!" Buffy yelled as she rested her hand over her racing heart.   
  
“I-I’m sorry, honey!"   
  
“How long have you been sitting there?" The teen questioned pressing her fingers against her eyelids and blinking a couple of times before focussing her gaze back on her mother.   
  
“Not too long…" Mrs. Summers trailed off.   
  
There was a moment of silence between the two as they watched each other. Buffy frowned when she saw her mother nervously fidget with the hem of her blouse.   
  
“Mom…? What do you want to tell me?" Buffy began, tilting her head.   
  
“Buffy, we need to talk about something."   
  
“Oh, my God! You’re pregnant!" Buffy exclaimed wide-eyed.   
  
“What?!"   
  
“You’re pregnant! I just knew it!" The teen continued without attempting to mask her anxiety attack.   
  
“Buffy, calm down. I’m not pregnant." Mrs. Summers reassured her.   
  
“Oh, thank God!" Buffy exhaled sharply.   
  
“It’s something else… It’s about… my… hum boyfriend…" Mrs. Summers paused when she heard a groan coming from her daughter. “Yes, Buffy, you are old enough to know that I have a *boyfriend*."   
  
“Oh, please don’t say that word…" she whined crunching up her facial muscles.   
  
“Well, it’s what he is."   
  
“Fine… Whatever…" Buffy grumbled crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for her mother to continue.   
  
“Anyway… we’ve been seeing each other for over two months now and-“   
  
“Two months? Since when have you been going out for two months?" Buffy piped up in surprise.   
  
“I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid of how you would react."   
  
The two eyed each other for a while before Joyce carried on:   
  
“We’ve been seeing each other for over two months a-and I-I’m very fond of him…"   
  
“Fond of him?" Buffy cocked up her eyebrow, but seeing the dirty look her mother threw in her direction, she decided it was in her best interest to shut up.   
  
“I like him Buffy… and I think it’s time… I think it’s time you two met." She suddenly blurted out.   
  
“What?!"   
  
“I’ve arranged for us to have a nice, quiet dinner tonight so you two can… talk and get to know each other." Mrs. Summers continued with a firmer tone.   
  
“But, mom… I don’t want to meet-“   
  
“Buffy, this is very important for me." Joyce insisted. “And I would appreciate it if you did me this favour."   
  
Buffy pouted as she listened to her mother, but seeing the fear in the older woman’s eyes made her heart melt and eventually, she nodded and sighed:   
  
“Fine… I’ll be a good little girl. I’ll meet him."   
  
“Oh, thank you so much, Buffy. I’m so proud of you, honey!" Mrs. Summers brought her hands together for one single clap before leaning in and placing a kiss on Buffy’s cheek. “I’ll see you after school." She waved as she stood up and left the room.   
  
“Great… just great." Buffy mumbled as she climbed out of bed.   
  
~+~   
  
“So you’re gonna meet your mom’s boyfriend?" Willow asked as she sat next to Buffy on the bleachers.   
  
“Don’t call him that, Will." Buffy grumbled as she squinted, her eyes scanning the football field. She was sure Spike had gym class during that period.   
  
“What? That’s what he is, right?"   
  
“Yes. But it just sounds… *wrong*! Very wrong!"   
  
“Well, what do you want to call him?"   
  
“How about the evil he-man who wants to steal my mom away from me?" Buffy offered with a forced grin.   
  
“That sounds good. But it’s kinda long." Willow joined in the sarcasm.   
  
“Yeah, but still better than *boyfriend*." Buffy practically chewed the word out as she continued to search the field.   
  
She felt her heart jump to her throat when she saw a herd of teenagers coming from the locker rooms to flood the field.   
  
“Oh, there’s Xander!" Willow piped up and the teen slouched his way after the rest of the group. “Doesn’t he look yummy in his grey shorts?" She mocked as both girls cringed simultaneously.   
  
Xander looked up at the stands and a huge smile lit up his face as he waved at them and they returned the greeting.   
  
Willow watched from the corner of her eyes as Buffy scanned the small crowd on the field.   
  
“He’s not there." Willow said in a low voice.   
  
“Huh? What?" Buffy shook her head and turned to face her best friend.   
  
“Spike… I talked to Xander… He skipped classes today."   
  
“Oh…" Buffy tried to sound nonchalant about it.   
  
“You worried about him?" Willow asked after a short pause.   
  
“No." The blonde answered straightaway, but seeing the smile on Willow’s face she grumbled: “Ok, so I’m a little worried."   
  
“I’m sure there is a good reason why he hasn’t been telling you stuff."   
  
“He better!" Buffy said with a threatening tone.   
  
The two sat in silence, watching as Xander was barely able to do four sit-ups in a row.   
  
“It’s just that…" Buffy started out of the blue. “He’s just been acting so strange and…" She trailed off feeling a bit silly. “He’s… hum… distant…"   
  
Willow didn’t say anything. She knew her friend needed to talk and so she remained in silence, hugging her knees.   
  
“Ever since… you know, *that* night… he hasn’t tried anything."   
  
“Has he been pulling away?" Willow had to ask.   
  
“No… he just hasn’t been very… you know…"   
  
The blank look on Willow’s face told her she would have to elaborate on the subject.   
  
“He hasn’t tried anything…" Buffy grumbled. “Well, he does start… but we never get to finish." Buffy said frustrated. “It’s either my mom coming home, or the phone, or an impending fight…"   
  
“You want to get to… finish?" Willow questioned.   
  
“I-I… Oh, who am I trying to fool – God, Yes!" Buffy exclaimed burying her flushed face in her hands.   
  
Willow couldn’t help but giggle.   
  
“It was amazing!" Buffy sighed getting a dreamy look on her face. “You know how I used to say that sex wasn’t all that was cracked up to be in the movies…" Willow nodded. “Well, I lied! It *is* all that’s cracked up to be!"   
  
“So… it was good?" The redhead questioned.   
  
Buffy bit her lip and then nodded enthusiastically. The two girls giggled wildly as they continued their conversation.   
  
“What about you and Oz?" Buffy was finally able to ask once she regained control over herself.   
  
“We’re still waiting for the right moment." Willow answered with a low voice and a grin on her face.   
  
“I’m sure it’ll be amazing for you too." Buffy assured her leaning into her friend and giving her a light shove with her shoulder.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy let out a deep sighed as she dragged her feet across the threshold and let her backpack drop to the floor on her way to the couch.   
  
“Hey, honey!"   
  
Buffy sat up straight to see her mother standing in the hall.   
  
“Mom, you’re home early!" The teen noted.   
  
“Yes, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for tonight." Mrs. Summers explained, unable to hide the anxiety from her tone.   
  
Buffy stood up and walked over to her mother.   
  
“Everything *is* going to be perfect. Don’t worry." She assured her before wrapping her arms around her for a hug.   
  
“I’m glad you are taking this so well."   
  
“Well, I have no choice, if you like him…" Buffy shrugged as she walked past her mother. “I’ll take a shower."   
  
“Ok, honey."   
  
~+~   
  
She let the warm droplets race down her back as she leaned her forehead on the wall and inhaled sharply. Reluctantly, she reached for the faucet and turned it, the string of water cascading on her coming to an abrupt halt. While one small hand ran through her soaked hair, the other reached for the white towel.   
  
A cloud of smoke flooded the hall when she opened the bathroom door and headed down to her bedroom. She let her tired body drop numbly onto the mattress as she stared up at the ceiling, her stomach doing strange flip-flopping motions at the thought of meeting… it. She cringed as she pictured a disgusting forty year-old, bald man wearing a myriad of golden strings around his neck as a black mass of chest hair peeked from a half open silk shirt.   
  
“No… mom would never be that desperate." Buffy tried to convince herself.   
  
She was snapped from her thoughts by the sharp ringing sound coming from the phone on her nightstand. Rolling on the bed she reached for it.   
  
“Hello? Hey, Wills." She greeted.   
  
“So, is he there yet?" An anxious Willow asked.   
  
“Nope. But he should be here any minute now." Buffy grumbled as she looked at the alarm clock.   
  
“Well, you know I’ll be here waiting for you to call and tell me all about what an absolutely horrid person *it* is."   
  
Buffy couldn’t help giggling at the name they had finally chosen for the stranger who was dating her mother.   
  
“Don’t worry! I’ll keep you in the loop. I’m sure after tonight I’ll really need to vent out a bit." The blonde reassured her.   
  
“I’ll be waiting." Willow responded with a peppy tone.   
  
A moment of pause filtered between them before the redhead asked:   
  
“Any news on the British front?"   
  
“No." Buffy answered in a low voice. “I think he skipped classes all day."   
  
“Are you gonna call him?"   
  
“No!" She answered immediately.   
  
“Are you sure?"   
  
“I’m sure, Willow." Buffy grumbled.   
  
“Ok... Talk to you later then."   
  
“Later."   
  
“Bye."   
  
Buffy let out a deep sigh as she set down the receiver and stood up to investigate her wardrobe.   
  
“What to wear…" She wondered out loud as her fingers travelled over the sweaters and jumpers.   
  
Eventually she settled for the casual look. If she was going to have to endure a night of seeing her mother making lovey-dovey eyes at *it*, she might as well feel comfortable.   
  
She let the towel drop to the floor as she slipped on her panties, quickly followed by her old, worn-out blue jeans. Stumbling her way to the dresser, she searched the various drawers until she found what she was looking for.   
  
With the blow-dryer in one hand she let her head fall and started brushing her hair. After a few minutes she stood up straight, watching in the mirror as her hair cascaded down her back. Satisfied with the end result, she put the dryer away and reached for her turtleneck sweater. A light knock on the door was heard.   
  
“Yeah?" Buffy’s voice was muffled by the red fabric as it slipped past her jaw.   
  
“Buffy? Hurry up, they’ll be here any minute!"   
  
“Ok, mom!" She grumbled before her eyes lit up and she frowned: “They?" She asked out loud as she put on one of her shoes.   
  
She mumbled something unintelligible when she looked around the room and failed to find the rest of the pair. She froze when she heard the doorbell ring.   
  
“Oh, God! It’s here!" She braced herself before dropping to her knees.   
  
She looked under the bed, the dresser and finally under the wardrobe:   
  
“There you are." She said triumphantly as she grabbed the missing shoe and put it on.   
  
Taking in a deep breath she headed for the door and made her way downstairs. She almost tripped on the last step when she saw who was standing in the hall nervously running his hands through his hair.   
  
“Spike? What are you doing here?" She asked as he turned around, a desperate look plastered on his face. “What happened?"   
  
“Buffy, is that you?" She heard her mother call from the living room.   
  
Awkwardly, she pulled at the sleeve of his duster, dragging him closer to the staircase and away from the living room.   
  
“Hum… Spike this isn’t a very good time for this. My mom is expecting company and-“   
  
She was cut off by the sight of her mother entering the hall.   
  
“Mom!" She jumped up. “Spike was just leaving…" She trailed off when she saw a man walk in after Mrs. Summers. “Mr. Giles?" She frowned recognising him. Then turning to the blonde teen still standing in front of her she questioned in a low voice: “Spike? What’s you’re father doing here?"   
  
When she didn’t get an answer she looked back at her mother. She watched as the older woman blushed furiously, her gaze buried in the wooden floor. She felt the air being pushed out of her chest when she saw Mr. Giles rest his hand over her mother’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.   
  
“Mom?" She managed to breathe as realisation hit her.   
  
“Buffy… I-I would like you to meet Rupert Giles…" Joyce swallowed hard before she added in a faltering voice: “… my boyfriend."   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 26   
  
Buffy stared intensely at her plate, unable to look up and face the awkwardness that surrounded the dinner table and seemed to drain all the healthy air from the room.   
  
“So…" Giles’ voice echoed off the walls, breaking the uncomfortable silence that engulfed all four of them. “I hear homecoming dance is tomorrow night…"   
  
When Spike didn’t answer, Buffy found herself being pressured to do so in his place so she mumbled meekly:   
  
“Yes…"   
  
“You two must be really excited, no?" The older man continued enquiring as he nervously adjusted his glasses for the millionth time that night.   
  
“Not really. Homecoming dance usually sucks, *big time*." It was out of her mouth before she could help it.   
  
She winced at the sound of her own voice. She hadn’t meant for it to sound so… arrogant and blasé.   
  
“Oh… I-I see." He stuttered, returning his attention to the plate in front of him.   
  
The unbearable silence returned and Buffy, still feeling guilty over her retort quickly tried to make up by adding:   
  
“But afterwards we’re going to Cordelia’s. She organises a party every year… to compensate for the lousy dance." For the first time that evening, the petite blonde looked up in Giles’ direction.   
  
“Is Spike taking you to that party too?" The question seemed only natural, but Buffy’s brain was stuck on the small word at the very end of it – *too*.   
  
Truth was they hadn’t actually talked about the homecoming dance. It had been a hectic week and between Spike running off to God-knows-where and all the fighting, they hadn’t had anytime to discuss the subject. Were they going to the dance together? Were they going as a couple or as part of the ‘piss off Dru and Angel’ plan? She didn’t really know, but apparently, Spike’s father did. ‘Great! My mom’s *boyfriend* knows more about my private dilemmas than I do.’ She protested inwardly.   
  
“I don’t know." She answered. “We haven’t really had time to talk about that." She spoke looking directly at Giles, trying hard to ignore the image she picked up from the corner of her eyes.   
  
Spike sat next to her and had pretty much kept to himself and his plate for the entire night, but at her response he had suddenly looked up and was now apparently staring at her.   
  
“Buffy…" Mrs. Summers stepped in as the motherly concern kicked in. “I don’t know if I want you going to these parties alone. I know how these things are… they’re all wild a-and dangerous…"   
  
“Willow and Xander will be there to protect me from the wildness and the… hum… dangerousness." Buffy frowned at the last word. Was that an actual word?   
  
“Even so… I-I don’t-"   
  
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Summers, I’ll keep an eye on her." Spike finally spoke, causing all three pair of eyes to turn their attention on him.   
  
“Well… I-I guess that’s settled then." Giles said with a content grin as he finished his dinner and set his fork and knife sideways on his plate before turning to Joyce. “Dinner was wonderful, hon-“ He stopped himself as he heard the two teens let out a simultaneous groan. “-Joyce." He corrected himself.   
  
“Thank you." She replied in a low voice as her cheeks quickly gained a bright red colour. Turning to Spike as she began to stand, she asked: “Spike, could you please help me clear the table?"   
  
Buffy’s eyes went wide. She was going to leave her alone in the room with Mr. Giles? Oh, no she wouldn’t!   
  
“I’ll do it!" the blonde girl immediately pushed her chair back and prepared to stand when she felt Joyce’s strong hand lightly push her downwards.   
  
“Spike can help me, can’t you?" She insisted, throwing a soft smile in the young teen’s direction.   
  
“Hum… Sure." Spike replied awkwardly standing up and gathering the remaining dishes.   
  
Buffy felt her heart race in her chest at the prospect of being left alone with… *it*… who happened to be Spike’s father. ‘Oh, God! The horrible silence!’ She thought as she watched her mother and Spike leave the room.   
  
“So…" Giles started in a meek attempt to make small talk. “H-how’s school?"   
  
“It’s ok." She answered, her eyes glued to the striped towel.   
  
“Good. A-And your friend… hum… what’s her name… Willow?"   
  
“She’s ok too."   
  
“Good."   
  
‘God, kill me know and end my suffering.’   
  
In the meantime, in the kitchen…   
  
“How are things going in school?"   
  
“’s ok." Spike mumbled his response as he handed the older woman the dirty dishes he had collected from the table.   
  
“Are you sure…? What about….?" Joyce pointed at his broken lip.   
  
“Fell." He answered dryly.   
  
“Some fall. To bruise your right cheekbone and split the right side of your mouth without leaving so much as a scratch on your nose." She wondered out loud. There was no threat or doubt in her voice, it sounded as a simple statement, without any reprehension.   
  
“You know how things are..." Spike replied, leaning on the counter.   
  
“I guess I do. Could you take the ice-cream from the freezer please?"   
  
He nodded and did as she had asked him.   
  
“Thanks."   
  
Joyce took a spoon into her hand and scooped an equal amount of ice-cream into four different cups, when she was finished she handed the container back to him and he placed it in the freezer. Taking two cups into her hands and signalling him to take the other two she stopped for a second before she went into the living room.   
  
“I hope you don’t have anymore of those nasty falls."   
  
Spike couldn’t help but smile as he replied:   
  
“I’ll try."   
  
~+~   
  
“What about the other boy… the little one with colourful hair… hum? Osborne?"   
  
“Oz?" Buffy questioned nervously tapping her spoon on the table.   
  
“Y-yes! That’s the one."   
  
“He’s ok, too. He’s in a band."   
  
“Oh!" Giles replied.   
  
Buffy practically pooled off her seat in relief when she saw her mother and Spike walk into the living room.   
  
‘Thank, God! I was running out of friends to talk about.’   
  
“Oh, chocolate cookie." Giles piped up, clearly relieved also. “If you guys want, there is more in the kitchen." Joyce explained as she took her seat next to Giles.   
  
All four dug into their respective ice creams, trying to ignore the God-awful silence that spread all around them. Eventually, Joyce attempted to put them out of their misery:   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
The teen snapped her head to look up at her mom:   
  
“Yes?"   
  
“This party at Cordelia’s… What time is it?"   
  
“Probably around eleven. We’ll try to leave the dance a bit early." Buffy answered with a faltering tone as she gave her mother a pleading look. ‘Please. Don’t embarrass me in front of them… Please!’ She begged her telepathically.   
  
“I-It’s a little late isn’t it? What time are you planning on coming home?" Mrs. Summers tried to hide the worry from her voice.   
  
“I-I don’t know. Hum… four-ish?" Buffy tried, her eyebrows coming together for a desperate frown.   
  
“Four in the morning?!" The older woman’s practically squeaked in amazement.   
  
“Well, I-I could come… hum… I-I"   
  
“I’ll look after her. Plus I’ll be driving her home and I promise I won’t drink." Spike interrupted Buffy’s incoherent mumbling to everyone’s surprise.   
  
There was a long moment of silence as the two teens waited for Joyce’s response:   
  
“I don’t know…"   
  
“It is homecoming and it’s their senior year…" It was Giles’ turn to step in.   
  
Mrs. Summers looked at him for a few second and then sat up straight.   
  
“Ok, then! But I want you in your room by four, young lady!" Joyce reassured her.   
  
“Oh, thank you, thank you!" Buffy exclaimed as she came around the table to give her mother a bear hug before sitting back down.   
  
She dared to look at Spike for a split second and she felt her stomach flip-flop when she realised he was staring back at her. Thank you. She mouthed before blushing furiously and burying her gaze back in the bowl in front of her.   
  
“Who wants coffee?" Mrs. Summers asked standing from the table.   
  
This time Buffy was faster than she could have expected and the teen was already on her feet with the four cups in her hands and heading for the kitchen before her mother could say anything.   
  
~+~   
  
“Mr. Giles is *it*?!" Willow squealed into the receiver, causing Buffy to grimace and pulled the phone away from her ear for a second.   
  
“For the 1000th time, Willow – Yes!"   
  
“I just can’t believe it! Mr. Giles and your mom doing-“   
  
“Willow, if you have any wish for me to actually retain some sort of emotional stability in the future, please refrain from finishing that thought." Buffy grumbled.   
  
“Oh! Sorry!" Willow piped up. “It’s just-“   
  
“Sick? Repulsive? Hideous? Hum…? Apocalyptic?" She offered.   
  
“Come on Buffy. It’s not apocalyptic. Repulsive and sick – yes, but not apocalyptic." Willow countered.   
  
“Oh, and guess what? He wants me to call him Giles. I mean, he’s Spike’s father and I’m supposed to call him Giles? He goes to PTA meetings, for Christ sake."   
  
“I’m sorry, Buffy." Willow sympathised.   
  
“Not as much as I am."   
  
“It is kinda weird, huh?"   
  
“Kinda? If my mom and *Giles* are together then that makes Spike and I what? Potential siblings! That’s what! Which means… Oh, God! I had sex with my potential stepbrother! I’m going straight to hell!" Buffy sighed.   
  
“Well… if you put it that way…" Willow was forced to agree.   
  
“I’m falling for my stepbrother…" Buffy pitied herself when suddenly her eyes went wide as realisation hit her.   
  
“What?!" An equally astonished Willow asked.   
  
“Nothing!" Buffy quickly replied.   
  
“No… You said-“   
  
“I didn’t say anything!" Buffy insisted frowning dangerously, but soon relaxed her facial muscles when she realised that Willow wasn’t able to actually see her threatening glare.   
  
“Oh, come on Buffy! We both know you have wild ‘ravage me now’ feelings for him…"   
  
“Willow!" Buffy exclaimed outraged.   
  
“What? It’s true!"   
  
“W-Well even if this was true… We’re talking about my potential stepbrother here. This is excommunication material we’re talking about."   
  
“Oh, so what? You never were very religious, anyway." Willow mumbled and then added in a peppy tone: “So, when are you two gonna go back to the wild-monkey-love phase?"   
  
“Willow!!!"   
  
“Sorry…" Willow spoke, guilt pouring into her voice. “I’ve been Oz deprived for too long - band practice and all. Plus, I’ve been spending too much time with Xander."   
  
“I can tell." Buffy replied rolling her eyes.   
  
“I’m sorry…" Willow pouted.   
  
“You’re forgiven." Buffy couldn’t help but smile.   
  
“So is Spike taking you to the dance?" Willow’s anxious tone was back.   
  
“Yes. He’s picking me up at eight tomorrow."   
  
“Oh!"   
  
“Willow…" Buffy warned.   
  
“Not a word from me. I’m on good girl mode now, the nasty talking doppelganger is no more." Willow assured her.   
  
“I hope so." Buffy giggled.   
  
~+~   
  
She nervously brushed her hair, sitting in front of the dresser, looking at herself in the mirror. As she rested her brush on the wooden surface her hands were free to roam over her long blonde threads.   
  
“Up." She mumbled to herself pulling her hair, twisting it on top of her head and exposing her neck in the process. “Down." She continued, dropping the golden mass. “Up… Down… Up…"   
  
“Buffy?" Her mother’s voice came from the corridor as she heard approaching footsteps followed by a light knock on the door.   
  
“Come in."   
  
There was a small squeaking sound that came from the door as it slowly opened.   
  
“Oh! You look amazing." Mrs. Summers breathed as she saw her daughter stand up and turn on her heels.   
  
The sleeveless black gown settled tightly around her chest and waist only to spread slightly when it reached her hips. Her tanned shoulders and collarbone seemed fragile and exposed as she slowly moved to get her grey scarf and twirled it around her slender neck.   
  
“But you have to do something about your hair." Mrs. Summers commented as she came into the room and her hands fell over Buffy’s blonde strands. “You should keep it up."   
  
“You think?" She wondered as she looked herself in the mirror.   
  
“Definitely! Show’s off your beautiful neck."   
  
Buffy frowned when she heard the faltering in her mother’s voice.   
  
“Oh, mom! You’re not gonna cry again, are you?" Buffy begged.   
  
“I can’t help it. You just look so… grown up. My little girl, all grown up." Joyce spoke, bringing both hands to cover her mouth and nose as she watched her daughter diligently working on her hair. “Everyone’s going to gawk at you all night. Spike’s gonna have a fit of jealousy. Well… maybe not jealousy since he…"   
  
“Mom, I have to tell you something-“   
  
Buffy was cut off by the sound of the doorbell.   
  
“Oh! That’s Spike! I’ll go and get the door."   
  
And before Buffy could say anything, the older woman was out the door and down the stairs.   
  
~+~   
  
“She’ll be down any minute now." Joyce reassured him for the third time that evening.   
  
Half an hour had passed since he had arrived and there was still no sign of Buffy. Sighing audibly, he reached for the cup of warm chocolate and took a sip. He almost choked to death when his eyes looked up and found *her*, standing near the doorframe that lead to the kitchen.   
  
“How do I look?" She asked blushing under his stare.   
  
When he finally managed to get his coughing fit under control, he stood up and said in a low voice:   
  
“You look wonderful."   
  
“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself." She replied taking in his tuxedo-clad figure. ‘God, he looks yummy.’ She shook her head trying to push back the R rated images that instantly flooded her mind. ‘Bad Buffy!’ she scolded herself.   
  
“Oh, honey you look amazing!"   
  
“You’ve said that already, mom. Oh, mom please don’t… mom… D-don’t cry come on." She begged coming to rest her hand over her mother’s back.   
  
“I can’t help it."   
  
“Mom…"   
  
“I’m sorry. You kids go and have a good time. I’ll be fine."   
  
“You sure?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“I’m sure. Have fun, honey." Mrs. Summers nodded and ran her hand over her daughter’s cheek before she watched her walk out of the kitchen. “Be home by four!" Buffy heard her mother shout as she closed the door behind her.   
  
“Sorry about that. My mom’s kinda sensitive about all this growing up I seem to be doing." Buffy said awkwardly, her eyes glued to the pavement as they walked towards Spike’s car.   
  
“Don’t worry. My da’s pretty much the same. Uh, but in a more manly fashion obviously. He was all: ‘Son, come here.’ and quickly followed that with the unavoidable embarrassing hug scene." He explained, opening the car door for her.   
  
When he took his place in the driver’s seat he froze for a second, remaining in silence for a while.   
  
“Uh… I know I shouldn’t talk, since I don’t have a driver’s licence and all but… I think it would work better if you put the key in that little slot there." Buffy joked, but felt the air being sucked out of the small vehicle when he turned to face her and his eyes roamed over her body.   
  
“You do look amazing tonight." He said in a low voice, before putting the key in the ignition and heading off to the old high school.   
  
~+~   
  
The guitar sound echoed off the wall of the old gymnasium as they entered the teen packed room. Unconsciously, Buffy’s grip on Spike’s arm tightened as they made their way through the crowd and all eyes seemed to fall on the blonde duo.   
  
“You should’ve been expecting this. Nobody’s gonna be able to take their eyes off you for one second tonight." She heard Spike whisper in her ear and her knees turned into Jell-O.   
  
Thankfully, an extremely peppy and energized Willow came to her aid.   
  
“Buffy!! You look great!" She screamed over the loud music in the background.   
  
“You look great too." Buffy replied. Seeing the familiar redhead standing next to her best friend she added: “Oz!"   
  
“Hey!" The teen greeted the newly arrived couple.   
  
“When are you guys going on?" Spike asked.   
  
“In about fifteen. I was just waiting for you guys to come. Didn’t want to leave Willow alone." He explained, pulling his date for a small kiss on the lips before he turned to leave. “See ya."   
  
“Good luck!" Buffy shouted after him receiving a small nod from the guitar player as he disappeared into the crowd.   
  
“God! I’m sooo excited! This is even worse that at the Bronze! Ah!!!" Willow screamed clapping hysterically.   
  
“I’m gonna get something to drink. You ladies want anything?" Spike asked.   
  
“Punch." The two answered in unison as the bleached teen turned to attend to their requests.   
  
“And where’s the soon to be Homecoming Queen?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“You know Cordy, she’s probably waiting for the last minute to make her grand entrance.   
  
“Yeah, I bet."   
  
“Oh! Speak of the she-devil!" Willow piped up pointing at the red-clad brunette that had just walked into the room, causing all heads to turn and gaze at her.   
  
“She’s just loving this!" Buffy smiled contemplating the spectacle.   
  
“Xander doesn’t seem too comfortable though." Willow joked.   
  
“Here you go." Spike’s voice came from behind them, as he handed them their drinks.   
  
“Thanks." Buffy mouthed as the music grew to a crescendo.   
  
“The whelp’s here. Thank God! Some testosterone company." Spike sighed in relief as he watched the couple move towards them.   
  
His eyes drifted back to the girl next to him to find her pouting. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear:   
  
“She doesn’t hold a candle to you, luv." He reassured her.   
  
Ok, that was it! Standing up straight was definitely becoming an issue as she felt his warm breath on her neck.   
  
“Hey, guys!" Cordy greeted unenthusiastically.   
  
“Hey!" They greeted back.   
  
“I hate this." Xander grumbled pulling at his collar.   
  
“Same here." Spike said, joining in the tuxedo bashing.   
  
“Oh, it’s just for a couple of hours. We’ll be out of here as soon as I get that damn crown." Cordelia exhaled sharply, her eyes scanning the crowd. “I can’t believe I’m going to have to dance with that football meathead."   
  
“Hey! It’s tradition. Homecoming king and queen have to dance at least once." Willow stated the unfortunately obvious.   
  
Cordelia growled something unintelligible before Jonathan’s squeaky voice came booming from the speakers.   
  
“1,2,3 testing…"   
  
All eyes fell on him.   
  
“Hum… Hi!"   
  
“Poor guy, he’s gonna end up dehydrated if he keeps sweating like that." Xander noted as a high-pitched sound came from the speakers, causing everyone to cringe.   
  
“Feedback! Careful of the feedback!" They heard Jonathan scold Andrew who nervously worked the board. Eventually, the screeching stopped and the short teen was able to stammer:   
  
“Hum… W-welcome to the Homecoming dance, everyone!"   
  
A mixture of ‘yay’s and ‘boo’s were heard before he could continue:   
  
“Now, please welcome the amazing band… ‘Dingoes Ate my Baby!’"   
  
Loud cheering boomed across the room as the first cords were heard. Soon, the stage was completely lit, showing all members of the groups, Oz included.   
  
“He looks sooo cool! I have a cool boyfriend! Ahhh!" Willow screamed.   
  
“Oh, no it’s starting all over again." Cordy grumbled between clenched teeth, before Xander wormed his hands around her waist and dragged her to the dance floor.   
  
“Wanna dance, pet?" Buffy heard Spike ask her.   
  
He frowned when he saw her shake her head, but then realised why, when she pointed at the lonely redhead jumping up and down next to them. Spike nodded, sliding his arms around her and pulling her back against his as they listened to the music.   
  
~+~   
  
Three or four songs went by before Cordy and Xander joined the trio sitting around a table. Well, Willow wasn’t exactly sitting, since she was constantly squirming in her seat, occasionally standing up and clapping her hands.   
  
“God! I’m beat. And I thought I hated the tux… It’s nothing compared to the way I feel about these stupid shoes right now. Ouch!" Xander grumbled taking his seat next to Spike as Buffy had abandoned her chair in favour of the Brit’s lap.   
  
“What are you doing?" Cordelia asked outraged as she watched her boyfriend lean over and stick his finger into his shoe.   
  
“Taking them off?" Xander offered.   
  
“Oh, no you’re not!" She shook her head, her eyes wide and her eyebrows raised high on her forehead.   
  
“Oh, come on!"   
  
“No!" She insisted, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“Damn it." Xander cursed under his breath as his eyes turned to the couple sitting next to him. “You guys gonna dance?"   
  
“You guys gonna keep Red company?"   
  
Xander nodded:   
  
“I don’t think I could move right now even if I wanted."   
  
Both Spike and Buffy smiled at that, before the bleached teen looked up at blonde sitting on his lap and tilted his head toward the dance floor. In a flash, she was up and was leading him to the middle of the crowd.   
  
“Ah! The joy of sitting down!" Xander breathed using Spike and Buffy’s chair to prop up his legs.   
  
“Xander!" Cordy yelled with a disgusted face.   
  
“What?!"   
  
  
  
Chapter 27   
  
The fast pace pounding of the drums came to an abrupt halt and after a few moments of silence a new, soft beat replaced it. The two blondes eyed each other uncomfortably, not really knowing what to do as, all around them, various couples came together to dance to the sound of the slow music.   
  
Buffy felt her stomach turn a couple of times as he stepped closer to her and his hands came to rest on her hips, pulling her against him. Instinctively, her own arms crawled up his shoulders while her head nuzzled against his chest. They moved in accord with the melancholic rhythm, sluggishly dragging their feet across the dance floor. Spike frowned when he felt her chuckle against his tuxedo.   
  
“Something funny, luv?"   
  
She looked up at him and then tilted her head towards the table they had just left. Soon a smile spread over the Brit’s lips as he watched Cordelia huff and puff at Xander, trying hard to contain her rage but failing miserably.   
  
“What’s wrong with the Ice-Queen?"   
  
“I guess she must have noticed that Xander pulled a Michael Jackson on her." Buffy giggled against his chest, causing Spike’s eyes to roll back in their sockets for a second. God, he missed having her this close and her scent was becoming intoxicating.   
  
“Come again?" He managed to ask.   
  
Buffy smiled and pointed at Xander.   
  
“Notice the incredibly white socks."   
  
“Oh…" He finally realised.   
  
They continued to dance in silence for a while longer until Buffy looked up at him.   
  
“This is nice." She breathed.   
  
“Very."   
  
“It’s… comfortable." She started and then added with a sigh. “Too bad you’re gay."   
  
“Hey!" He protested as he watched her giggle.   
  
“Kidding. It’s just that my mom must really think you’re gay or she would have never allowed me to go out so late and have a boy drive me home in the middle of the night." She explained.   
  
“Yeah, and she’s probably the one putting all that crap into my da’s head, too." He grumbled.   
  
“Hey!" It was Buffy’s turn to object as she lightly swatted him over the shoulder.   
  
They eyed each other for a while. They hadn’t actually gotten the chance to talk about… it.   
  
“So… When did you find out?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“When my da parked the car in your driveway and said: ‘This is it. We’re here.’ “ He answered promptly.   
  
“Ouch! Still, better than coming down the stairs and bumping into your dad. You could have told me." She frowned, giving him a frowned look and a pout.   
  
“When was I supposed to tell you? In the fifteen seconds it took my father to come after me?" He defended himself.   
  
“Yes! You could’ve just said – ‘My father is your mom’s new boyfriend.’" She insisted.   
  
He pulled his mouth to the side and tilted his head giving her an annoyed look.   
  
“What?" She exclaimed. “Oh, alright! You couldn’t do anything about it. I just need someone to blame." She grumbled.   
  
“Same here, pet."   
  
“Kinda strange… isn’t it?" She tried after a few seconds of silence. “My mom, your dad, together. It just spells out WRONG." Her eyes widened to emphasize the last word.   
  
“It’s awkward. I was dying all the way through that dinner." He admitted.   
  
“Me too. God, you’re father was just so strange when my mom left us alone. He was all –‘How are you? How is Willow? How is Xander?’. You guys walked in just the nick of time. It was getting too painful."   
  
“Da’s just nervous about you liking him. He really seems to like your mom." Spike explained.   
  
“I guess. But it’s still weird." She said as her head came to rest on his shoulder.   
  
He felt her freeze, her entire body tense up and he frowned. He was about to ask her why the sudden change when he followed her gaze and saw Dru and Angel walking into the gymnasium. Without a word he tightened his grip around her small waist and brought her closer to him, while one of his hands crawled up her back to draw small, soothing circles on her exposed skin just below her neck. After a few moments, she relaxed and snuggled her face against the black material of his tuxedo to take in his scent.   
  
Sluggishly, he let his head drop and buried his nose in her hair. A smile spread over her lips as she felt him mumble something unintelligible against her blonde threads.   
  
“What was that?" She asked looking up at him.   
  
Her breath caught in the back of her throat when her eyes met his. He looked so-   
  
She was violently snapped out of her thought by the suddenly clapping and cheering that erupted around them. She blinked wildly, looking around and realising Oz’s band had finished their set and everyone was applauding them. Her gaze zoomed across the room, her mind still a bit hazy, but she was able to identify a very hysterical Willow jumping up and down, clapping incessantly as Oz came off the stage.   
  
Soon, a still nervous and sweaty Jonathan came on, picking up a discarded microphone and lightly tapping it.   
  
“A-and now, for the moment you have all been waiting for – the coronation of our very own Homecoming King and Queen."   
  
Roaring cheers filled the gym for a few seconds before the teen continued:   
  
“Please welcome our principal… Principal Snyder!"   
  
The entire crowd went silent as the short, bald man climbed on stage. Suddenly, a single ‘boo’, echoed off the walls. Principal Snyder immediately snatched the microphone from Jonathan’s hands and snarled:   
  
“Give me that!" Turning to the crowd he growled: “Who did that?"   
  
No answer.   
  
The little man huffed a couple of times but then decided to ignore the insult, turning his attention to one of the two envelope he held in his hands.   
  
“Alright, let’s get this pathetic show over with." He grumbled ripping open one of the envelopes. “And the Homecoming Queen is… Oh, surprise, surprise…" He mumbled with fake enthusiasm. “Miss Cordelia Chase."   
  
Everyone clapped as the head cheerleader made her way onstage, tugging at her long gown as she climbed the small steps.   
  
“Thank you." She said with a plastic smile as she accepted the golden crown and the flimsy bouquet of flowers. “I would like to-“   
  
“Alright, alright! No speeches." Snyder interrupted, causing Cordelia to glare violently at the short shell of a man. “And the Homecoming King is…" He tore the piece of paper and took out the card concealed inside. His jaw practically dropped to the floor as he read it out loud: “William Giles?"   
  
There was complete silence in the entire gymnasium. All eyes alternated between a seriously pissed off Angel and an incredibly dumbstruck Spike.   
  
“Huh? What?" He managed to ask looking at Buffy who was equally surprised.   
  
After the initial surprise the Principal was back to his usual unpleasant humour as he grumbled:   
  
“Oh, don’t make us wait Mr. Giles."   
  
Still wide-eyed the teen reached the stage, unwillingly accepting the terribly garish golden ornament on his head.   
  
“Ok. It’s done. I’m getting out of this teen infested excuse for a high-school." Snyder snarled on his way off stage.   
  
Nervously, Jonathan reached for the nearest available microphone:   
  
“And now, as tradition deems it, the King and Queen will share a dance."   
  
Still a bit stunned, both Cordy and Spike eyed each other, remaining still on stage.   
  
“Hum… Guys!" Jonathan hissed at the two. “Move it."   
  
“Oh…" Spike shook his head and took Cordelia by the hand, leading her to the dance floor. As a slow, cheesy music began playing in the background, the bleached teen wormed his arms around the cheerleader, pulling her towards him.   
  
Buffy felt her stomach turn at the sight; her face instinctively grimacing at the strange feeling in her gut.   
  
“Hey!"   
  
She jolted up straight at the voice.   
  
“Hey, Wills." Buffy greeted awkwardly as her eyes returned to the duo alone on the dance floor.   
  
“You ok?" the redhead asked.   
  
“Fine." She answered without looking at her.   
  
“Same answer as Xander."   
  
“I’m fine, Willow." Buffy reassured her, finally turning to face her best friend. “It’s just a dance. And it’s just Cordelia."   
  
There was silence as the two watched the ‘royal’ couple glide across the floor.   
  
Buffy tapped her shoe nervously. She never realised this song was this long.   
  
“Relax, Buffy." She heard Willow say.   
  
“I’m relaxed. I couldn’t be more relaxed. I’m the epitome of relaxation!"   
  
Willow raised an eyebrow at that.   
  
“I *am* relaxed." She repeated, pausing before adding: “And I’ll be even more so once Spike gets his hands *off* her."   
  
Slowly, the song drifted into silence and the dancing couple quickly parted ways.   
  
“Nice dancing with you." Spike said awkwardly as he backed away from her.   
  
“Yeah." Cordelia nodded equally embarrassed as she made her way to Xander.   
  
“Hey. That was weird, huh?" Spike said nervously as he approached Buffy, quickly taking off the metal crown.   
  
The petite blonde simply nodded as she sat down around the table, along with to Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander. Even thought the music soared to a crescendo, filling the room, a nerve-wracking silence engulfed the six teens.   
  
“That was a surprise. Spike, Homecoming King." Willow piped up, trying to loosen the mood, but it was impossible.   
  
“Real surprise." Oz stepped in, in a hopeless attempt to help his girlfriend.   
  
“Angel must have been pissed, huh?" The redhead continued, but had no reaction from the two couples.   
  
Suddenly, Cordelia spoke up:   
  
“I’ve got my crown. What do you guys say we head onto my place?"   
  
“Good idea." Willow immediately squeaked.   
  
~+~   
  
They drove in silence for the first five minutes.   
  
“The dance was nice." Spike tried to make small talk.   
  
Buffy simply nodded and looked out the window.   
  
“Oz’s band was amazing."   
  
Another nod, followed by a sigh.   
  
“Something wrong, luv?"   
  
“Nope." Buffy answered, popping the ‘p’, staring through the glass.   
  
“Then why the silent treatment?"   
  
“What silent treatment? I’m just tired." She replied. “Ah!"   
  
She cried out in surprise when the car came to an abrupt halt, causing her to be projected forward; the seatbelt being the only thing keeping her from being thrown out through the windshield.   
  
“Are you insane!?" She shouted turning to face him. “What the *hell* was that for?" She paused, waiting for a response. “Why are you grinning? Stop grinning! I don’t like it when you grin!" She watched as he tilted his head and narrowed his eyes; his trademark smirk still tugging at the corners of his bruised mouth. “What?!"   
  
“You’re jealous." He stated matter-of-factly.   
  
“What?!" She cried out.   
  
“You were jealous of me and the pom-pom queen." He elaborated.   
  
“Ego much?" She questioned raising her eyebrows.   
  
“No. Just stating the obvious, pet."   
  
“Ha!"   
  
“Come on. Admit it – You. Were. Jealous."   
  
“Not. In this. Lifetime." She replied in the same manner.   
  
“You were jealous." His smile widened as he watched her blush furiously.   
  
“Was not."   
  
“Were to."   
  
“Was not."   
  
“Were to."   
  
“Was – Oh, will you just shut up and drive, already?" She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to face the road.   
  
“Not until you admit you were jealous." He stated.   
  
He turned the key in the ignition and the steady murmuring of the car engine came to a halt as he pulled on the hand break.   
  
“We’re in the middle of the road, Spike!" She noted looking back and forth.   
  
“Not until you admit it." He repeated, sloshing in his seat.   
  
“Spike! Stop playing around, someone’s gonna crash into us." A hint of fear slipped into her voice.   
  
“Admit it."   
  
“No!" She shouted as she turned back and watched a car coming dangerously close to them. “Spike! Watch out!"   
  
But at the last moment the driver spotted the car parked in the middle of the road and was able to avoid it, driving past them.   
  
“You’re gonna get us killed!" She screamed. “This is not funny."   
  
“Admit it."   
  
“Will you stop saying that?!"   
  
He complied and didn’t say anything, choosing to simply stare at her as another car raced past them.   
  
“Spike, please pull over." She begged and he shook his head. “Fine. I’ll do it."   
  
Without warning, she moved over to his side, her left leg slipping between his as her hands came to rest on the steering wheel. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she wiggled in his lap and she heard him groan. Trying to ignore him, she turned the key in the ignition and the car engine roared but it refused to move.   
  
‘Ok… Now which of the peddles makes the car move…’ She wondered.   
  
She tried one but there was no result. Sighing she chose the one next to it, pressing it and suddenly the car roared loudly, causing her to jump in Spike’s lap and inevitably the Brit moaned as her backside pressed against this pelvis.   
  
‘Ohgodohgodohgod!’ She thought to herself as she tried to get her breathing under control. She pressed the peddle again and, once again, the engine howled but the vehicle refused to budge. She looked right and left, up and down, trying to remember Spike’s movements when he had last started the car. Her eyes brightened when her gaze fell over the lever to her right.   
  
In the meantime, Spike rolled his eyes back, grinded his teeth together, clenched and unclenched his hands to keep from grabbing the hot, little body that was wiggling in his lap. ‘Cor… She smells good! No! Focus, focus, Spike! Can’t let her win.’ He thought as he watched her. ‘She’s gonna destroy my car!’   
  
Excitedly, she reached for the hand break and tried to push it down. She frowned when it refused to move. Spotting the button on the stick she pressed it and tried again. This time it worked and as soon as the break was down the car started moving. She smiled when she realised that even though she wasn’t pressing any of the peddles, the car was gliding down the road.   
  
With a goofy smile and a racing heart, she grabbed the steering wheel and turned it completely to the right causing the car to head straight against the rapidly approaching pavement.   
  
“Ah!" She screamed hysterically as the car climbed the sidewalk and she turned the wheel hard left as she realised she was about to crash into a trash can.   
  
After successfully avoiding the object, the car continued to move along the sidewalk, two wheels on the asphalt and the other two on the pavement. ‘Now… to get it to stop.’   
  
Without a second thought she pulled at the hand break and the car came to a halt. The light humming still came from the engine, so she turned the key and it there was silence.   
  
“Ah!!!!!" She screamed “I did it! I did it! Ah!!! I drove a car!" She shouted hysterically, clapping her hands and wiggling in Spike’s lap. “Did you see it? I drove a car." She continued to yell, completely oblivious to the repressed groans than came from behind her.   
  
Spike’s fingers held a death grip on his seat as she unconsciously grinded her backside against his groin. He pressed his lips together in a feeble attempt to push back the grunts that built up in his throat but it was impossible. God! The way she moved, who could help it?   
  
“Did you see it? I-“ She stopped in mid sentence when she suddenly felt strong hands on her thighs, gripping them.   
  
She caught her breath when his hips bucked upwards, his hands pulling her down, pushing her hard against him. Buffy’s eyes widened as she felt something hard pressing into her. After the initial shock, she relaxed and slowly moved her hips in small circular motions.   
  
“Cor… Buffy…" She heard him breathe in her ear.   
  
His lips slowly grazed over the back of her neck, his teeth scraping against her tender flesh there. Buffy’s head lolled back, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she continued to move.   
  
“Ah…"   
  
The sound of him moaning in her ear sent shivers down her spine as one of his hands blindly crept up her side to cup her clothed breast. It was Buffy’s turn to mewl as his finger roughly caressed her through the black fabric of her dress.   
  
Her hand abandoned the steering wheel and came to wrap around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. His lips glided over her jaw line and her cheek to finally find her mouth.   
  
“Mmm…" Buffy moaned, parting her lips and allowing him to slip inside.   
  
Their tongues moved erratically, desperate to deepen the kiss, as if they wanted to devour each other.   
  
Spike groaned into her mouth as she wiggled in his lap, trying hard to get comfortable as her body faced forward while her torso twisted backward. She struggled to move in the small space, but her tight dress only served to restrain her movement even further.   
  
Realising this, Spike’s hands reached down, his mouth never abandoning hers, as he tugged at the gown, hitching it up around her waist. Taking full advantage of her new found mobility she turned her body and in a few seconds she faced him, her legs on either side of him. One of her heels dug into Spike’s shin, but he was completely oblivious to it as he felt her thrust her hips against his, her small breasts bouncing slightly at the sharp motion.   
  
They froze for a second as they gazes met. She was flushed; a few strands of her hair had come loose from the bun at the back of her head and now fell around her face, framing it.   
  
“God, Buffy… You’re beautiful." He couldn’t help breathing before he captured her mouth with his own.   
  
The kiss was fast paced and ravenous. His hand came to the crook of her neck, pulling her closer, trying desperately to deepen the kiss when she once again pushed her hips against his. His lips moved over her jaw and down her neck to finally find the edge of her gown. Buffy arched her neck, letting her head fall to the side and allowing him full access to her chest as his shaky fingers tugged at the black material and exposed one perfectly shaped breast.   
  
He took a moment, looking up at her for permission, but she seemed lost, her eyes closed, her mouth slightly open. His lips brushed over her hardened nipple once, causing her to gasp just as his tongue darted out and began to encircle the tender bud.   
  
“Woo-hoo!"   
  
The two jolted to attention as a teen packed car slowly drove past them. Buffy brushed furiously, quickly scrambling to cover herself as she moved off of Spike and plopped back in her seat.   
  
“Oh, God! They’re from our high-school!" She shrieked, pulling her dress down. “Ohgodohgod!"   
  
“Shhh… Calm down, luv."   
  
“Calm down?! A car full of testosterone driven teenagers just saw my… my…" She awkwardly pointed at her now covered breast.   
  
“Calm down. They didn’t see anything. Unless they have ex-ray vision that allows them to see through my head." Spike explained, wiggling his eyes at her suggestively.   
  
“Pig…" She mumbled, trying hard not to smile.   
  
There was silence between them for a second as they eyed each other. Suddenly, Spike looked away from her and at the steering wheel:   
  
“Hum… we better go." He said as he turned the key in the ignition.   
  
‘What? We’re going? What about the… sex?’ She wondered frowning a bit. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he doing this? Was it because of their parents? Did it repulse him now that… Well, it sure as *hell* didn’t repulse him a moment ago. Plus, it was the second time he was doing it.   
  
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and pouted all the way to the party.   
  
‘Breathe, breathe.’ Spike mentally commanded himself. ‘Can’t let her win. If she wants it, she’s gonna have to be the one to make the move. Let’s just hope she makes it soon or I’m gonna lose it.’   
  
Author's note: Yeah, yeah… I know! Short chapter but I just had to stop it here cause the next scene is kinda long and the chapter would just turned out enormous!   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 28   
  
“There you guys are. I thought you’d lost your way or something." Xander called out; walking up to the blonde duo who had just entered the household.   
  
“We got kinda… stuck in traffic." Spike made up on the stop.   
  
“At eleven at night? Traffic?" Xander questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Alright kiddies, have fun and don’t make too much damage or Cordy is so gonna kick your asses. I’m off."   
  
With a goofy grin he walked away quickly being swallowed by the crowd of bouncing teenagers.   
  
Buffy simply cowered behind Spike. The thought of finding the drunken groups of kids that had caught them just ten minutes ago in an extremely compromising position made her stomach turn.   
  
“Oh, God! They’re here!" She squeaked when she saw the short brown-haired boy who had shouted at them. “I’m gonna die. Just kill me now." She mumbled.   
  
“Calm down, luv. Maybe they didn’t recognize us." Spike offered.   
  
The moment they fully entered the party, all heads turned to observe them. The wave of hushes and unintelligible whispers that soon followed was barely masked by the loud music.   
  
“Oh, right… they didn’t recognize us at all." Buffy spat sarcastically.   
  
“I’m sorry, pet." The Brit apologized.   
  
“You better be." She narrowed her eyes at him.   
  
“Well, it was your bright idea to sit on my lap."   
  
“So what?"   
  
“So what?" He repeated. “I’m a guy! You don’t wiggle around on a guy’s lap; especially not an eighteen-year-old-hormone-driven guy!"   
  
Buffy simply rolled her eyes and leaned on a nearby wall, wishing for all the gossiping to cease. Unfortunately, ten minutes into the party the buzzing still hovered around them.   
  
“God! Where’s Willow when you need her?" She mumbled, pouting.   
  
“If they came in Oz’s van it’ll probably be a while." Spike breathed scanning the crowd and throwing deadly glares at all the gossiping teens, but it was no use. There were just too many of them. He turned to face Buffy: “Wanna shut them up?"   
  
“Yes, please." Buffy begged. “What’s your-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish the sentence as, suddenly, he was on her, his mouth smashed against hers in a bruising and demanding kiss, while his body crushed hers against the wall she had been leaning on. His tongue pushed past her lips, greedily exploring her mouth while his hands gripped her thighs and crawled up the sides of her chest. Buffy eyed shot wide open in shock, but soon she relaxed in his arms and her heavy eyelids closed as she responded with a fervour that matched his.   
  
Her mind swirled as her fingers gripped the lapels of his tuxedo, desperately trying to bring him closer, but he pulled away and turning to face the gawking and astonished heard of teens shouted:   
  
“Liked the show?"   
  
Everyone blushed, awkwardly squirming in their places as their gazes bounced off the wall in a pathetic attempt to appear oblivious to the blonde duo. Turning to face a panting Buffy, he grinned at her:   
  
“Worked."   
  
She tried to answer him, but she was still a bit stunned by the intensity of the kiss and so she opted to simply nod.   
  
“What something to drink, luv?" He asked as he swallowed hard, attempting to hide his lack of breath and his racing heartbeat.   
  
Another wide-eyed nod was the girl’s response.   
  
“Be back in a sec." He said before turning on his heels and heading for the bar on the other side of the room.   
  
Buffy stood there, still leaning on the wall and practically jumped up straight when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.   
  
“Buffy!"   
  
She heard Willow’s perky voice.   
  
“Oh, it’s you guys." She let out a deep breath turning to face Oz and Willow.   
  
“Buffy, are you alright? You’re kinda jumpy." The redhead worried.   
  
“I’m ok, Will." Buffy assured her as she watched Spike return with one soda in each hand.   
  
“Hey." He greeted.   
  
Oz gave him a slight nod while pushing his lips together.   
  
“Where are Cordelia and Xander?" Willow questioned.   
  
“Probably upstairs doing the old nasty." Buffy offered.   
  
“Yeah, the whelp did have a ridiculous ‘I’m-gonna-get-laid-tonight’ grin plastered all over his face." Spike confirmed her suspicions.   
  
“Ok, that’s so not the imagery I need right now." Willow grimaced.   
  
“Same here." Buffy agreed.   
  
~+~   
  
The song ended and the couples began dispersing, but the blonde duo remained with there arms wrapped around each other as a more fast paced, energetic tune came on. They moved slowly, while the crowd around them jumped up and down in a strange, almost tribal, dance.   
  
“I don’t think this is the way you dance to ‘It Smells like Teen Spirit’." Buffy finally said with a smirk, looking up at him.   
  
“Says who?" Spiked asked cocking up a scarred eyebrow.   
  
“Everyone in this room." She replied promptly.   
  
“Pff. What do they know?"   
  
They continued locked in an intimate embrace, swaying to a beat of their own, oblivious to the world around them.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity, they let each other go and moved to join Willow and Oz on the couch.   
  
“You guys not going to dance?" Buffy asked with a smile that spread from one ear to the other.   
  
“Not really in a headbanger’s ball mood." Willow said crunching up her nose.   
  
“You can always ignore the music and slow dance." The blonde countered.   
  
“Not very imaginative tonight. Plus…" She pointed at her bare feet. “Sore."   
  
“Oh! I told you should wear high-heel shoes more often."   
  
“Can’t." Willow said simply.   
  
“Why not?" Buffy frowned.   
  
“Height issues." Willow whispered, looking from the corner of her eyes to make sure Oz was fully entertained talking to Spike.   
  
“Oh…" Buffy nodded as realisation hit her.   
  
“So, why were you all jumpy back there?"   
  
“The rumours haven’t reached you yet?"   
  
“No. I’m rumour free. You know how it is, I’m always out of the gossip loop. I’m loopless." Willow brought her eyebrows together for a painful frown.   
  
“Well, you won’t be loopless anymore." Buffy assured, causing her to smile. “On the way over here Spike and I kinda got into a fight."   
  
“Again?"   
  
“Don’t worry, we’re over it. Anyway, we fought and one thing lead to the another and, long story short, we ended up in a serious make-out session."   
  
“Oh!" Willow piped up with a grin.   
  
“Yeah, well that was what the guys who drove past us said too. Well, sort of. It was more of a ‘woo-hoo’ thing."   
  
“Ouch." Willow winced.   
  
“It gets worse. It turns out they’re from our high school and they’re here as we speak. Hence the rumours and the constant glances at me and Spike."   
  
Willow smiled as Buffy continued, telling her about the Brit’s strategy to defeat the evil glares.   
  
“What are you two giggling about?" Spike called out coming closer to Buffy and throwing a possessive arm over her.   
  
“Nothing." Buffy lied. “Girl stuff."   
  
Spike tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in a clear sign of disbelieve.   
  
“What?" Buffy gave him an innocent look, leaning in for a quick peck before standing up.   
  
“Where’re you going?" He questioned taking a hold of her hand.   
  
“Lady’s room." She answered before moving to leave.   
  
“Want me to come with?" he asked as he scanned the crowd. There were already too many pissed teens at the party, he really didn’t want her getting into any kind of trouble.   
  
“I think I can manage going to the bathroom on my own. I’ve been able to do it since I was two. I’m pretty sure I’ve got it under control." Buffy joked.   
  
“Just be careful." He said letting go of her hand and watching her as she moved into the crowd.   
  
“She’ll be fine." Oz said, knowing perfectly well the fears going through the bleached teen’s head since he pretty much felt the same way about letting Willow wander around the party alone. Especially the upstairs.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy climbed up the stairs, trying to avoid the various semi-naked couples that seemed to cling to every available surface. She had tried the two bathrooms downstairs but had found one occupied and the other was… well, not in the most sanitary condition. She reached the corridor where an even more degrading spectacle waited to greet her.   
  
“Get a room." She whispered, frowning as she tried to remember the drunken girl’s directions.   
  
‘What did she say? Was it second door on the left or right? Or was it third? Damn that stupid loud music.’ She grumbled in her thoughts as she approached the first option. She didn’t need to go near the door to hear the series of ‘Oh my God’s’ that came from behind it. ‘Ok, so it’s not option number one.’ She decided to move to the other side of the hall, but once more loud moans and ungodly screams carried through that door. ‘I guess that leaves doors number three and four. Now, left or right.´  
  
“I think I’d choose right." She heard someone say.   
  
She turned on her heels to see Angel slouching against the wall, beer bottle in hand.   
  
“You’re looking for the bathroom, right?"   
  
Buffy simply nodded, crossing her arms over her chest in a feeble attempt to cover herself. Damn! Why had she left her scarf downstairs? She really wasn’t liking the lascivious glances he was throwing at her breasts.   
  
“It’s the third on the right."   
  
“Thank you." She said quickly reaching to turn the knob.   
  
It was locked. ‘Damn it!’ She cursed in her mind. She smiled nervously as she lightly tapped on the door.   
  
“Hello? Anybody in there?" She asked realising Angel was still staring at her.   
  
“It’s-“   
  
Whoever was trying to answer never got a chance as a gag sound was heard followed by the unmistakable one of someone vomiting.   
  
“Ew." Buffy winced pressing her legs together. She really needed to go.   
  
“There’s another bathroom in the pool area." Angel suggested.   
  
“Oh…" Buffy said, having no idea how to reach it.   
  
“I can take you if you want."   
  
“I thought Cordy said the pool was off limits. She locked all the doors that lead to it." Buffy explained.   
  
“You forget I’ve been coming to this party for the last three years. I know this house inside out." Angel smirked.   
  
She didn’t like that. And it wasn’t in a ‘not-liking-Spike’s-gorgeous-smirk’ kind of way; it was in a ‘really-creepy-get-the-hell-away-from-me’ kind of way. Plus, he looked like he was kinda drunk. But what was she supposed to do? Hold it in?   
  
“Ok." She finally agreed as she followed him downstairs.   
  
Instead of turning left and heading where most of the party was concentrated, they turned right, into the kitchen where a few drunken kids lay sprawled on the floor while others sat on the counter telling anecdotes. They crossed the tiled room and entered a small corridor with a door on each side, one of which lead to one of the bathrooms she had tried earlier. At the end of the hall was a window. Angel reached for it and opened it.   
  
“You’re gonna have to go through here." He explained.   
  
Buffy waited for a few seconds, contemplating how she would be able to climb out. Tugging at her dress, she pulled just enough so she was able to swing one leg over and then quickly jumped out. She stumbled a bit but was able to keep her balance as her feet hit the grass outside. She watched as Angel easily made his way through the window.   
  
“This way." He pointed as they went around the corner and were met by the sight of a giant pool spread out in the middle of a garden.   
  
“Wow." Buffy could help uttering.   
  
“I know. It’s great, isn’t it? Had pretty much the same reaction the first time I saw it." Angel said sticking his hands into the pockets of his trousers.   
  
Buffy eyed him waiting for him to point out the bathroom.   
  
“Oh! Sorry! It’s over there." He indicated the small house near the pool.   
  
“Thanks." She smiled and walked over to the white structure.   
  
~+~   
  
“Where is she? What’s taking her so long?" Spike asked for the fourth time as he nervously scanned the party.   
  
“There’s probably a line. She’ll be down any second now." Willow tried to calm him down.   
  
“I don’t like this. I’ll go check on her." He mumbled standing up and walking away.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy ran her hands over her stomach, flattening the black fabric there as she watched herself in the mirror one last time before opening the door and exiting the bathroom. She looked around and frowned when she failed to find the quarterback.   
  
“Angel?" She called out squinting as she searched the thick garden that surround the pool area.   
  
“Gotcha!" He exclaimed as he grabbed her by the waist, causing Buffy to scream.   
  
He immediately set her down.   
  
“Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you." He apologized.   
  
“I-It’s ok." She stammered.   
  
“So… You enjoying the party?" He tried to make small-talk.   
  
“It’s nice. Leave it to Cordy to plan a party that can make up for the lousy school dance." She let a soft smile spread over her lips as her eyes stared into the crystal water that mirrored the sky.   
  
“Yeah! She throws the best parties every year. “ He agreed.   
  
They remained in silence for a few seconds.   
  
“Well, we better…" She pointed towards the main house. “…go."   
  
“Right." He said nodding and following her.   
  
Buffy wobbled over the grass as they made their way back to the window but, suddenly, her ankle twisted under her and she stumbled to the ground. Instinctively, Angel reached out; one strong arm encircling her waist was enough to stop her from failing.   
  
“Oh… Thanks!" She breathed looking up at him.   
  
Her eyes widened when Angel’s lips were suddenly on hers. She was shocked at first, but immediately pressed her hands against his shoulders and pushed him away.   
  
“What the *hell* are you doing?" She spat angrily wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, not worrying about smudging her lipstick.   
  
“Oh, come on Buffy. I know you want to." He took a step closer to her, with his hands stretched out.   
  
“Stay away from me!" She warned him and he stopped dead in his tracks.   
  
“Is this about him?"   
  
She frowned.   
  
“Bleach-boy?" Angel explained tilting his head back towards the house.   
  
“This-“ She started but was interrupted by the tall boy’s grotesque laughter.   
  
“You’re all worried about what he’s going to think isn’t it? Good old Buffy! You would never think of cheating on your boyfriend." He mocked; a hint of anger hiding behind his arrogant tone. “Well guess what? You should check if you’re *boyfriend* is on the same page as you are, darling, cause I’m not really sure if he would agree that yours is a monogamous relationship."   
  
Buffy glared at him as he paused and took in a deep breath.   
  
“You’re drunk." She spat tugging at the edges of her dress and preparing to storm away when she heard him call out.   
  
“He didn’t tell you, did he? About why we fought?"   
  
She froze in mid-stride.   
  
“Didn’t think so. I mean, the way you were all over him, I figured he didn’t."   
  
Slowly, she turned to face him.   
  
“Is this the scene in the movie where you make up some big lie to try and break me and Spike up? Cause that is just so cliché." She sighed, apparently bored, but inside her heart raced against her chest.   
  
“Just tell your boy to stay the hell away from her. She’s mine now!" He growled.   
  
“Dru?"   
  
“Yeah, Dru. Caught him trying to grab her." He explained.   
  
“You’re lying."   
  
“Why would I lie?" He stood up straight. “Why else would we fight? Because of you?" He let out a powerful chuckle. “Come on, honey. Do you really think I still want you? Do you really think I’m as pathetic as you are?" He asked rhetorically. “Not really. You’re…" He took his time, running his tongue over his bottom lip. “…used up."   
  
A smacking sound echoed in the empty garden as Buffy’s hand came out of nowhere to slap him across the face.   
  
His reaction was a creepy grin and a chuckle as he fingered his now sore cheek.   
  
“Ouch, Buffy. That really hurt." He said sarcastically. Suddenly, his smile crumbled and he glared at her. “Go. Ask him. Let’s see what he tells you."   
  
And with that he stormed towards the window, slipping inside.   
  
~+~   
  
“She’s gone. I can’t find her anywhere." Spike said worriedly as he came back down the stairs to find Oz and Willow still on the couch.   
  
“Are you sure? I-I mean did you check everywhere?" Willow stuttered.   
  
“I checked, believe me." He grumbled scanning the crowd. His heart immediately settled when he saw the petite blonde entering the living room.   
  
“Thank God, Buffy! Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you." He breathed in relief, bringing his arms to wrap around her small form.   
  
She never moved, remaining perfectly still in his embrace.   
  
“Are you ok?" He frowned.   
  
“I-I’m fine. I’m just a bit tired." She answered calmly, but he could tell something was wrong.   
  
“What happened?" His eyes went wide at the idea of… “Did something happen? Buffy are you ok?"   
  
“I’m fine." She repeated. “I just wanna go home, please."   
  
“But it’s only one o’clock." Willow noted.   
  
“I wanna go home." Buffy replied.   
  
The redhead was about to protest, when she felt Oz’s light grip on her forearm telling her to just let it go.   
  
“Ok, I’ll take you home." Spike agreed putting his arms around her shoulders and leading her towards the door.   
  
~+~   
  
They drove the entire way home in silence. Even though Spike had miserably tried to make conversation, Buffy would simply answer him with either a nod or a monosyllabic reply. He let the car come to a full stop in front of her house before pulling on the hand break. The moment the vehicle stopped, Buffy opened the door and was on her way to her house.   
  
“Hey, wait up." He called out running after her, not bothering to lock the car.   
  
When she didn’t answer, he wormed his fingers around her arm and forced her to turn and face him.   
  
“What’s wrong?" He questioned with a serious tone.   
  
“Why did you and Angel fight?" She asked simply.   
  
“What? Where did that come from?" He frowned at her.   
  
“It’s a simple question Spike. Why did you guys fight?"   
  
He paused to a second, letting go of her arm and sighing.   
  
“Buffy… I… I can’t tell you." He finally managed to say.   
  
She pressed her lips together and nodded once before she turned on her heels and climbed the steps to her front porch.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
He went after her, leaning on the front door as she fidgeted with the keys.   
  
“Why are you acting like this?"   
  
She continued to try and fit the key into the lock. Angrily, he reached for her hand, pulling it away from the door.   
  
“Buffy, what’s going on?"   
  
“Was it about me?" A hint of hope shone in her eyes as she asked.   
  
He paused for a second.   
  
“No."   
  
“They why did you fight?" This time she wasn’t able to control the conflicting emotions inside of her, raising her voice.   
  
“I can’t tell you!" He insisted.   
  
“Why not?" She yelled.   
  
“Shh… You’re gonna wake up your mom." Spike warned her.   
  
She breathed in deeply turning to face him.   
  
“Spike… either you tell me why you and Angel fought or it’s all over."   
  
“What?!" he exclaimed with a hint of despair.   
  
“You heard me." She stood her ground firmly waiting for his response.   
  
He narrowed his eyes, frowning at the same time.   
  
“What is this about? Who have you been talking to?"   
  
She ignored his questions.   
  
“Choose." She demanded.   
  
“I-I can’t tell you."   
  
She swallowed hard, turning the key in the lock and pushing the door open.   
  
“Goodbye, Spike." Was the last thing she said as she closed the door in his face.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy raced her way upstairs, storming into her bedroom and slamming the door behind her before throwing herself on the bed. Moments later a light knock was heard.   
  
“Buffy…" Mrs. Summer’s voice carried through the wood.   
  
Buffy scrambled to the sitting position, biting back the tears as she watched the door of her room opening slightly and her mother’s head popping from behind it.   
  
“Are you alright? You’re home so early." She noted stepping into the room.   
  
“I’m fine mom." The teen answered with a forced smile, squinting a bit when her mother turned on the lights.   
  
“Are you sure?" Joyce insisted still not convinced.   
  
“Yes. I’m fine. The party was just a bit dull and I got tired."   
  
“Alright then, goodnight honey." Mrs. Summers whispered kissing her daughter on the forehead before leaving the room.   
  
~+~   
  
  
  
Chapter 29   
  
Buffy hugged her pillow, the tears finally spilling from her eyes as she lay on the bed still wearing the black gown. Her arm reached out for the phone as it rang.   
  
“Hello?"   
  
There was no answer.   
  
“Hello?"   
  
“Buffy?" The familiar voice was heard.   
  
Without a second thought she slammed the phone down and returned to the pillowcase.   
  
RING! RING!   
  
She sighed and picked up the receiver.   
  
“Buffy, we need to t-“   
  
He wasn’t able to finish the sentence as a busy signal came on. He grumbled something unintelligible and dialled the memorized number again.   
  
“Buffy, stop shutting the ph-“   
  
Beep, beep, beep.   
  
“God! I’m gonna kill that girl." He growled, but was soon pressing the small plastic keys once again. He frowned when he got a busy signal. He tried once, twice and even a third time before he realised she had probably unhooked the phone.   
  
~+~   
  
“So we’re back to hating Spike’s guts?" Willow asked with a low voice.   
  
Buffy simply nodded as she played around with her food.   
  
“You better suit up for hating mode then." The redhead warned her as she saw the approaching teen.   
  
Buffy looked up as he set his tray on the table opposite her. The moment he made a move to sit down, she stood up and was out the door without a word.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He grumbled as he scurried after her. “Buffy!" He called out.   
  
But she continued to quickly make her way down the hall. He sprinted towards her, eventually falling into stride with her.   
  
“Buffy, we need to talk." He said looking at her as she stopped by her locker opening it.   
  
She didn’t answer, simply opened her backpack and took out a few books.   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“There is nothing to talk about, Spike." She said never looking at him.   
  
“What do you mean?"   
  
She turned to face him with a plastic smile which crumbled in seconds.   
  
“I mean, there is nothing to talk about. It’s over."   
  
“What? Because I wouldn’t tell you why Angel and I got into a fight?" He asked in disbelief.   
  
“No." She lied. “Because… this thing… between us…" Her index finger travelled from him to her and then back again. “Whatever it was, it was just… wrong."   
  
“What?!"   
  
“We don’t really like each other. I mean, Spike, come on. Be serious. We always have and will always hate each other." She tried to rationalize. She just wanted to hurt him so much. As much as he had hurt her.   
  
“What are you talking about, Summers?"   
  
She winced inwardly at the use of her surname.   
  
“What we had was just… too many pent-up hormones, I guess."   
  
Spike simply stared wide-eyed at her. She was reducing what they had to hormones?   
  
“You missed Dru, I missed Angel and one thing lead to another and…" She shrugged, speaking so nonchalantly, though inside she felt a sting at the sight of utter disbelief on his face. “Goodbye, Spike."   
  
She tried to walk away but he seemed to suddenly snap out of his initial shock and grabbed her by her arm pulling her against the lockers, setting both hands on either side of her.   
  
“Why are you acting like this?" He said in a low voice.   
  
“I’m not acting like this. I’m just tired of playing pretend with you." She looked up at him.   
  
“Playing pretend?"   
  
“Yes, Spike. That’s all we’ve ever done. Just pretend. Cause the truth is…" She paused, swallowing hard before adding: “I don’t feel anything for you." She managed to say before slipping under his outstretched arm and walking away.   
  
~+~   
  
“So… How was it?" Willow asked as she walked side-by-side with the Buffy.   
  
“I told him."   
  
“Told him what?"   
  
“That I didn’t want anything to do with him. That what we had wasn’t real." Buffy explained kicking a pebble on the pavement.   
  
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?"   
  
“What was I supposed to do? Just yell at him and act like the jealous girlfriend? No! I’m not gonna be that pathetic. If he’s still not over Dru, that’s his problem, but he’s so not gonna use me to get her back." She said with resolve in her tone.   
  
“It just doesn’t make any sense." Willow started. “She was all over him, that day at the cafeteria. You know, the lunch-shower day?"   
  
Buffy frowned as she remembered the scene.   
  
“It was pretty clear that if he wanted Dru he could have her. There was no need for him to pretend that you and he were an item anymore. He could’ve just gone back to her." Willow rationalized.   
  
Buffy continued in silence wrapping her coat tighter around her waist as the wind blew harder.   
  
“I don’t know, Willow. And I really don’t care. This is just too… difficult. I just don’t want to deal with it now. All I want is to go to the mall, do some Christmas shopping and just forget all about him."   
  
“But maybe you’re just blowing this all out of proportion." Willow insisted.   
  
“Then why didn’t he tell me, Will? What else do Angel and Spike have in common besides me and Dru?"   
  
The redhead simply shrugged. She really didn’t have an answer. They continued in silence all the way to the mall until Willow spoke up.   
  
“I just think I preferred the angry Buffy."   
  
The blonde frowned.   
  
“You know. The way you act towards him. Like nothing has happened and you’re not angry… as if you just don’t care."   
  
“I don’t Willow. Not anymore."   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy dropped her bags on the floor as she entered her room, plopping down on the bed. God, she was tired!   
  
“Hey, Buffy!" Her mother greeted. “How was shopping?"   
  
“Mom? You’re home early." Buffy noted propping herself up on her elbows.   
  
“Giles and Spike are coming for dinner." Her mother announced.   
  
Buffy swallowed hard.   
  
“I already have plans." She made-up on the spot.   
  
“Plans?"   
  
“Yeah. Willow and I. We were going out for pizza."   
  
“Well, you didn’t tell me anything about that?"   
  
“That’s cause we just decided that this afternoon."   
  
“You better postpone it, then." Joyce said.   
  
“I can’t!" Buffy immediately piped up.   
  
“Why not?"   
  
“Because of… hum… Willow! She’s kinda down. She’s been having problems with Oz and she really needs someone to talk to. I can’t just leave her." The teen lied.   
  
“Well… why don’t you invite her to dine with us, then?"   
  
“Mom. She’s having guy problems. She wants to talk, which she won’t be able to do with you guys around." Buffy quickly excused herself.   
  
Mrs. Summers paused for a second as she seemed to be trying to figure another alternative.   
  
“Alright then." She finally agreed. “But don’t stay out too late." She warned her before closing the door.   
  
Buffy immediately reached for the phone.   
  
“Hello? Willow? Are you free for diner tonight? Yeah, something’s came up. Ok, I’ll come by your house in about half an hour.   
  
~+~   
  
“You can’t keep avoiding him forever." Willow noted taking a large bite from her slice of pizza.   
  
“I’m not planning forever. Just till the end of senior year. Just six and a half months and I’ll be home free." Buffy forced a smile on her face. “Now, can we please change the subject?"   
  
“Sure."   
  
“Where are you guys gonna spend Christ- Sorry, Hanukah?" Buffy corrected herself in time.   
  
“At home, as usual. You?"   
  
“Probably home, with my mom. It’s just the two of us."   
  
“At least you’ll be Spike-free for the Christmas holidays." Willow reminded her.   
  
“Thankfully!" She breathed. “Just two more weeks of extremely awkward situations and I’m off the hook." She said with fake perkiness.   
  
“I still think you should…" Willow caught her friend’s glare and quickly added: “Right! Changing the subject. Sorry!"   
  
~+~   
  
The door creaked as she pushed it open and slipped inside. The only light came from the kitchen.   
  
“Hey, mom." Buffy greeted letting the keys drop on the counter as she opened the refrigerator and explored its contents.   
  
“Hey. How was your dinner?"   
  
“It was ok." She replied taking out the orange juice and pouring some for herself.   
  
“Is Willow ok?" Joyce inquired.   
  
“She’s fine now." Buffy paused for a second, pondering whether or not to ask her mother about her evening. “And how was your dinner?"   
  
“It was very nice. I made pot roast."   
  
“Yippy." Buffy exclaimed with little enthusiasm as she sipped from her glass.   
  
“Watch it young lady." Joyce warned her.   
  
“Sorry." She said with a light smile.   
  
“Spike seemed kinda down though."   
  
She felt a pang in her chest at the mention of his name, but her reply showed no sign of it:   
  
“Oh, really?"   
  
“Yeah. He was very quiet and he didn’t eat much. Has he had problems at school?" Mrs. Summers wondered.   
  
“Not that I know of."   
  
“Well, he asked about you."   
  
Buffy simply nodded in acknowledgment.   
  
“He didn’t know that Willow and Oz had had a fight."   
  
“Yeah, it happened after school." Buffy quickly lied.   
  
“Buffy…" Joyce started with a more serious tone. “I’m very worried about him. I think he’s probably having a really hard time in school. I mean, you should have seen his face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone that depressed. You two seem to be very good friends right?"   
  
“Hum…" Buffy wondered what to say. “Well… sort of… yeah."   
  
“Well, could you talk to him? His father is really worried, but you know how the English are about these things. He doesn’t really know how to talk to Spike. He’s afraid he’ll say the wrong thing."   
  
“I… Hum… I don’t think I can…" Seeing her mother’s pleading expression, Buffy sighed and lied: “I’ll see what I can do."   
  
“Thank you, honey."   
  
~+~   
  
The days went by, growing shorter and colder by the minute. Buffy sat by the bleachers watching a group of kids having gym class as she waited for Willow. They had agreed to meet there during lunch. ‘What could be taking her so long?’   
  
She jumped up as the sharp sound of a whistle nearly pierced her eardrums. She watched as the teacher herded the teens together pointing at the locker rooms. She looked skywards. Maybe he was right; maybe it was going to rain.   
  
She hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees, staring out at the now empty field.   
  
“Hey." She heard a familiar voice call her.   
  
Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized it. Without turning to face him she breathed: “Hey." As he sat down beside her.   
  
They remained in silence for a long time before he spoke again:   
  
“We’re gonna have to talk to each other eventually. It’s useless trying to avoid me."   
  
“I’m not avoiding you." She quipped.   
  
“You’re not? You ask Mrs. Kennedy to change seats; you leave the cafeteria every time I enter the room; you refuse to let me give you a ride home even though it’s been raining everyday and you still say you’re not avoiding me?"   
  
“What do you want, Spike?" She questioned with a hint of annoyance.   
  
“Just to talk."   
  
“About?"   
  
“Us."   
  
She sighed and immediately stood up, walking away.   
  
“Buffy!" He called out as the first drops of rain started to fall.   
  
She continued to walk, jumping off the bleachers, completely oblivious to him.   
  
“Buffy!" This time he practically shouted.   
  
“What?!" She yelled back, turning on her heels to face him and jumping back a little when she realised he was right behind her.   
  
“Stop running away from me."   
  
“I’m not running, Spike. I just don’t want to be anywhere near you." She argued as the rain began to pour and she turned to race back to the main building.   
  
“Well, what are you gonna do about Christmas? Just ignore me?" He cried out.   
  
She stopped dead in her soaked tracks.   
  
“What are you talking about?"   
  
“Christmas?" He repeated as he came to stand before her again.   
  
“What about Christmas?"   
  
He frowned as he realised she didn’t know. Tilting his head sideways he stared at her for a while from under narrowed eyes as the drops of water marred his face.   
  
“Spike! What about Christmas?" She insisted.   
  
“Oh, nothing." He lied. A wicked grin spread across his face as he started to sprint back to school.   
  
“Spike!" She called out racing after him.   
  
Buffy ran her hands through her sopping wet threads when she entered the building to see Spike standing there beside her. Equally soaked.   
  
“What about Christmas?"   
  
“It really should be your mom telling you." He continued to with false worry.   
  
“Spike!" She scolded him, swatting him across the arm.   
  
“Well, since Christmas is a time of cheering and loving and all that crap…"   
  
“Yes!"   
  
“Our parents…"   
  
“Spike will you just come out and say it already?"   
  
“Decided we should all spend the holidays together." He finally answered her.   
  
“What? We? Who’s *we*?" She frowned wide-eyed as realisation slowly dawned on her. “Us we?!" She pointed at both of them.   
  
“You, me, your mom and my da. One big happy family." Spike grinned wildly at the growing rage in the petite blonde’s face. “It gets better, pet."   
  
“What?" She asked afraid of the answer.   
  
“Guess where we are spending the holidays."   
  
She didn’t reply, simply stared up at him with a frightened look.   
  
“At my da’s cabin up on the lake." He answered for her. “One whole week. The four of us together. It’s gonna be wonderful." He mocked sarcastically.   
  
She stood there in shock as the bleached teen threw her a grin and walked away.   
  
~+~   
  
“MOM!" She yelled the moment she entered the house. “MOM!"   
  
There was no answer. She wasn’t home yet. Buffy stomped her way upstairs, quickly changed her soaked clothes and came back down to sit on the coach. Two hours went by before she heard the jingling of keys at the door. She jumped off the sofa and was standing in the hall in a flash.   
  
“Mom!"   
  
“Hey, Buffy." Joyce managed to breathe from under the pile of paper bags. “Honey, could you please help me with this?" Before she could answer, Buffy was holding two large stacks in both arms and watching her mother gingerly make her way to the kitchen.   
  
“Mom!" She called after her, storming her way into the tiled room and dropping the bags on the counter.   
  
“Thanks, honey."   
  
“Mom, when where you planning on telling me about your Christmas plans?" A fuming Buffy demanded.   
  
Joyce stopped, turning to face her daughter.   
  
“How did you find out?"   
  
“Spike told me."   
  
“Oh! I wanted to surprise you last night, but you were already in bed by the time I got home. So aren’t you excited?" Mrs. Summers questioned with a huge smile and sparkling eyes.   
  
“Excited is not the word for it. I think completely pissed off is closer to it."   
  
Joyce frowned.   
  
“Mom, how could you do this? We always spend Christmas together. Just the two of us."   
  
“Yes, and you always complain about how we never go anywhere and how it’s always dull. I thought you’d be excited about spending Christmas with Spike. At least you’ll have someone your age to talk to."   
  
“I don’t want to spend Christmas with anyone else. I want to spend Christmas like we always do. Just the two of us." Buffy argued stomping her foot and raising her voice.   
  
“Well, I’m sorry Buffy. We’re going to spend the holidays at Giles’ place up on the lake and that’s that."   
  
Buffy stared wide-eyed at her mother before snapping:   
  
“I’m not going anywhere." She stormed up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door.   
  
“Young lady, you come back down here this instant!" Joyce demanded, but it was already too late.   
  
Buffy furiously looked through her dresser, picking her clothes as she prepared to take a shower when the door to her room swung open:   
  
“Don’t you ever walk away from me again! You hear that?" Joyce scolded, her index finger pointing dangerously at her daughter.   
  
Buffy stood her ground. Her arms folded over her chest, her chin raised up high.   
  
“Don’t you look at me like that! You are going and that’s final." Joyce snapped before turning on her heels, leaving a steaming-mad Buffy behind.   
  
~+~   
  
“I can’t believe my mom is forcing me to go!" Buffy growled stomping her feet as she stuffed a couple of sweaters into her luggage.   
  
“M-maybe it’s not gonna be so bad." Willow stuttered leaning on the desk.   
  
“Not so bad!" The blonde repeated. “I’m going to have to spend an entire week in a lousy cabin in the middle on nowhere, with *Spike*!"   
  
Willow’s eyebrows came together for a sympathetic frown as her mouth tugged to the left.   
  
“I’m gonna have a miserable Christmas and all because my mom had the *excellent* idea to spend it with… them." She spat the last word as she let her body fall to the bed.   
  
“At least you’re gonna have more presents." Willow tried to show her the brighter side of the issue.   
  
“Oh, great! Presents. I didn’t get them anything. Was I supposed to, you know, get them something?" She wondered.   
  
“Your mom probably took care of that." The redhead suggested, knowing Mrs. Summers well enough.   
  
“I hope so, cause I don’t have time to worry about that. We’re leaving in half an hour."   
  
“Mr. Giles and Spike are picking you guys up?"   
  
“Yeah. My mom doesn’t wanna take the jeep." Buffy said as she stood up and restarted packing.   
  
“Well, I-I better go. Oz’s waiting."   
  
“Ok, Willow. See you in a week." Buffy grumbled as she watched her best friend head for the door.   
  
“Call me when you get there?"   
  
“I don’t even know if there is a phone there." She stood up straight when it dawned on her: “Oh, God! They probably don’t have a TV either. I’m gonna die!" She mumbled stuffing her jeans into her baggage.   
  
Willow gave her another compassionate glance and was about to walk back into the room when Buffy brought her arm up:   
  
“No, go! Go have quality Oz time!"   
  
“You sure?"   
  
“Go. Get out of here." Buffy insisted.   
  
“Ok, bye." Willow agreed reluctantly.   
  
“Bye." Buffy mumbled closing her luggage and plopping down on the bed.   
  
~+~   
  
“Buffy, can you get that?" Mrs. Summers asked from the upstairs.   
  
“Sure. Why not?" Buffy said sarcastically, pushing herself off the couch and slouched all the way to the front door.   
  
“Hello!" An over enthusiastic Giles greeted her on the other side.   
  
“Hey." Buffy forced a smile on her face as she turned on her heels and went back to her place on the couch as the two men awkwardly followed her into the living room.   
  
“Where’s your mother?" Giles asked a bit nervous.   
  
“Upstairs." Buffy retorted; her eyes never leaving the flickering TV screen.   
  
“I’ll be right back." The older man said heading up the stairs and leaving the two teens alone.   
  
There was silence between them as Spike moved to sit on the couch next to her. Immediately, she squirmed to the left, away from him.   
  
“I’m not gonna bite, luv."   
  
She didn’t answer.   
  
“Are you gonna ignore me for a whole week?"   
  
“That’s the plan." Buffy mumbled between clenched teeth.   
  
“Apparently you’re not too happy about spending Christmas up at the lake."   
  
“Whatever gave you that idea?" She asked sarcastically.   
  
Stomping footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and soon, Mrs. Summers stood in the living room.   
  
“You kids ready?" She asked with a huge grin.   
  
“Dear God, what are you two taking with you?" Giles breathed as he rested the three large bags on the floor.   
  
“Presents." Joyce smiled.   
  
“Are you sure those are gonna fit in the car?" Spike questioned, standing up and walking over to help his father.   
  
“We’re just gonna have to try and fit it."   
  
“If there is no room left you can use my space. I don’t mind staying here." Buffy offered with a hint of hope.   
  
“You’re not getting off the hook that easily. Now, get up and let’s go." Joyce demanded.   
  
“Mom…" Buffy moaned.   
  
“Buffy!"   
  
The blonde teen stood up, dragging her feet towards the front door as she grumbled something unintelligible under her breath.   
  
“I heard that." Mrs. Summers called out as she locked the front door of the house.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 30   
  
“Is that the last one?" Giles asked hopeful as he stuffed the large suitcase into the backseat of the car.   
  
“Yes, I think it is." Joyce replied.   
  
The vehicle was completely packed, its trunk half open with a strong rope tied around it to keep it shut, while the left side of the backseat was also crammed with two large suitcases.   
  
“Hum…" Spike scratched his head as he looked at the car. “How are we supposed to fit in there?"   
  
The four looked at each other for a few moments, pondering over the question.   
  
“Well…" Giles started narrowing his eyes and frowning. “Can’t you two squeeze in there? You’re both very slim, it might do."   
  
“Squeeze in?" Buffy repeated in disbelief. “I’m not squeezing in anywhere with him." She pointed at the bleached teen standing next to her.   
  
“I guess we could take the jeep…" Joyce started a bit disappointed.   
  
“Nonsense. They can fit in there." Giles argued. Then, turning to face the two teens, added: “Isn’t that right?"   
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and said nothing as she stomped her way to the back door of the car and entered. Spike soon followed, trying to squeeze in but finding it impossible.   
  
“Ouch!" Buffy protested as he accidentally pushed her against the luggage.   
  
“Sorry." He piped up as he brought his other leg in.   
  
After much turning and twisting they managed to settle in, sitting next to each other, their legs compressed in the tied space. Spike winced when Buffy moved in her stop, forcing him to bring his thighs together in a very painful manner.   
  
“Do you mind?" He grumbled as he pushed her leg away from his and gave himself some much needed room.   
  
“What? You have your legs all spread out!" Buffy protested.   
  
“That’s cause I anatomically need them to be *spread out*!" Spike snapped back as Giles and Joyce got in the car.   
  
“Are you kids alright back there?"   
  
“We’re fine!" The two snarled in unison.   
  
~+~   
  
The trip up to the lake seemed to be lasting an eternity, even though it usually only took about thirty minutes. Spike flinched every time she moved by his side, forcing his legs together, but refused to say anything. He clutched his knees until his knuckles turned white but didn’t say a word.   
  
Buffy on the other hand, sat with her arms crossed over her chest, doing the best to look completely oblivious to the boy’s continuous suffering.   
  
As they drove on up the mountain, Giles was forced to make a very tight U-turn causing Buffy and the luggage at her side to slide on the seat, crushing Spike against the car door. That was it! The boy turned from red, to purple, to blue and eventually to a very terrifying shade of white that even caused Buffy to wince in sympathy.   
  
“Here. Let’s try this." She said, lifting her legs and swinging them over his thigh giving him room to move.   
  
There seemed to be an immediate improvement of his pain, testified by the slight colour that seemed to brighten his pale cheeks.   
  
“Thanks." He breathed sincerely throwing a smile at her, but she turned away, suddenly finding the pattern of her suitcases extremely interesting.   
  
He rolled his eyes and looked out the window. ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ He thought to himself, when he felt her legs idly move over his thigh, sliding downwards. He froze looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. Was she doing it on purpose? She certainly didn’t seem to be, as she still had the same bored/annoyed look plastered all over her face.   
  
He clenched his teeth as Giles stepped on the gas, causing them to back up a bit in their seats, her leg now pressing against his crotch. He swallowed hard, trying to focus on anything other then feel of her brushing against him. Her scent suddenly seemed to come to life, surrounding him and only serving to heighten his emotions. He didn’t know what was worse, having his legs bunched together, or having her press against him like that. Buffy moved a bit, trying to get comfortable, apparently oblivious to the way her knee now rubbed against him and he couldn’t help but moan. ‘Cor… Bloody hell.’ He cursed to himself, closing his eyes and rolling them in their sockets as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. He didn’t know how much he could take of this before… He glanced down at his pants and: ‘Ok, so much for not knowing how much I can take.´ He thought as he saw the evident bulge there.   
  
“We’re here!" Joyce’s perky tone broke through his hazed mind.   
  
“Thank God!" He breathed, immediately opening the door before the car had come to a complete stop and stepping out.   
  
“William! Watch out!" Giles warned as he saw his son stumble out of the car. “Are you insane?" He asked when he finally pulled the hand break.   
  
“Sorry! My legs were kinda numb. Needed to get out of there." He excused himself bringing his leather duster closer to his form to hide the effects of having Buffy so close to him.   
  
“Just be careful next time." Giles warned him stepping out of the car the same time Joyce and Buffy did.   
  
“Oh, Rupert this place is beautiful!" Joyce exclaimed alternating between looking at the small cabin and the lake that spread out before them.   
  
“I’m glad you like it." The older man said with a hint of pride as he started to untie the rope that was wound up around the trunk.   
  
~+~   
  
He turned the key and pushed the door open allowing Joyce and her daughter to walk into the wooden cabin.   
  
“How do you like it?" Giles asked, setting the keys on a shelf next to the door.   
  
“It’s wonderful, Rupert." Joyce breathed bringing her hands to cover her mouth as she entered the small living room to her right. “Isn’t it, Buffy?"   
  
The teen simply shrugged even though her eyes immediately fell on the fireplace in far the corner of the room. Maybe that one actually worked. She was tired of not being able to use the one at home because of their stupid chimney that insisted on clogging up.   
  
She glanced around to find a small kitchenette on her left, near a flight of stairs which stood directly opposite of the front door and lead to the top floor. The kitchen area was separated from the living room only by a small wooden counter and three or four stools.   
  
“You want to see the rest of the house?" Giles asked as he walked over to the stairs.   
  
“Oh, yes! Of course!" Joyce answered enthusiastically.   
  
Reluctantly, Buffy climbed after the two, quickly followed by Spike. The bleached teen swallowed hard as he watched her walk up the stairs, her denim-clad behind swinging teasingly on its way up.   
  
When they reached the top they were met by a narrow corridor with four doors, two on each side and a small window at the end. Giles opened the first door on the left, stepping inside.   
  
The others soon followed to find a small bedroom, with a large double bed put up against the right wall and with two nightstands on each side. On the left wall there was a wardrobe and on the wall opposite the door they stood in there was a window.   
  
“This is one of the bedrooms."   
  
“Oh, it’s very nice." Joyce exclaimed walking in and examining it.   
  
Buffy watched, with a disgusted look, as Giles stepped closer to her mother and whispered something in her ear, which made the older woman giggle a little before she walked out of the room and they were in the hall once again.   
  
Reaching for the first door on the right, Giles opened it to reveal a smaller room which was arranged in a similar way as the previous one except, this time, there was a single bed and it was put up against the right wall, the wardrobe opposite it, on the left wall, near a door.   
  
“This is one of the twin rooms."   
  
“Twin rooms?" Joyce asked with a frown.   
  
“We call them that because…" Giles walked over to the door near the wardrobe, opening it to reveal a room exactly symmetrical to the one they were in. “…It’s exactly the same as this one." He finished with a witty grin, as he took down his glasses and began cleaning them with a handkerchief.   
  
Buffy looked from left to right and realised the two rooms were definitely *twin* rooms. Everything was identical, down to the covers on the bed.   
  
“I-I was thinking the kids could stay in these rooms." Giles offered, putting his glasses back on as he headed back into the hall and opened the last door. “And this is the bathroom. Only one I’m afraid."   
  
Buffy frowned. ‘Three rooms. One for me. One for *him*.’ She rationalized in her mind, narrowing her eyes at Spike in disgust. ‘One for… THEY ARE GONNA SHARE A BEDROOM? A ONE BED BEDROOM?!’ She realised in shock, her mouth wide as well as her eyes. She should have guessed it. The little whispered secret, the ridiculous grin. ‘God! I think I’m gonna be sick…’ She thought, swallowing hard as she followed the three back downstairs.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy violently unpacked her things into the various drawers of the closet. She had ended up with the second twin bedroom.   
  
“This has got to be the Christmas holiday from *hell*!" She muttered between clenched teeth. “I’m stuck in a stupid cabin, sleeping next door to stupid-bleach-boy and my mom is shacking up with stupid-bleach-boy senior. And there is *no* TV!" She finished waving her hands in the air.   
  
She heard a door opening and stood up straight to see Spike leaning on the doorframe that lead to his room.   
  
“You called?" He asked.   
  
“No!" She spat straightening her hair and walking over to him with an outstretched hand. “And I want the keys to this door. It’s gonna be permanently *locked*, at least while I’m sleeping here."   
  
She waited for an answer, but he simply shoved his hands into the front pockets of his black jeans and shrugged.   
  
“Never had one. When da bought this place the owner didn’t give us a key for it." He finally replied.   
  
“You’re lying." She accused him, narrowing her eyes.   
  
“Ask da if you want." He shrugged again as he watched her furiously pound her way back to her suitcases and wardrobe as she continued to unpack.   
  
“So… What do you think of the place?" He began walking in, but was immediately stopped as she looked up and outstretched a hand in his direction.   
  
“You stop it right there, mister. You’re not coming into this room." She warned, as she stalked towards him, forcing him to back up. “You just stay away from me while I’m here. You get that? I may be forced to live in the same miniscule house with you for a week, but that doesn’t mean I have to interact with you in any shape or form."   
  
“Oh, come on Buff-“   
  
“Goodbye, *William*." She growled between clenched teeth as she closed the door in his face and went back to her unpacking.   
  
She sighed in frustration when she heard the doorknob turn and the door being flung open.   
  
“What?!"   
  
“I like the door open." He answered her with a forced grin as he walked back into his room and lay on the bed.   
  
Seconds later the door was being slammed shut and he heard her shout from the other side:   
  
“I like it better closed!"   
  
“Open!" He growled back at her when he swung the door and this time remained on the threshold, waiting for her to storm back to him, but she never did.   
  
“Fine! Play your stupid childish game." She mumbled as she finished unpacking and kicked the suitcase to the corner of the room, near the window. “I have to stand you for one week, and one week only. I’ll just ignore you." She decided, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“You are one stubborn little girl. You know that?" He said walking towards her, not caring about her ‘no entering my room’ policy as he backed her up against the foot of the bed. “Why are you acting like this? I didn’t *do* anything. I-"   
  
“Spike! Buffy!" Mrs. Summers voice carried through the hall. “Dinner is ready."   
  
She had never been so relieved to hear her mother’s voice as she was in that instant. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she squeezed past the pissed teen towering in front of her and walked out of the room.   
  
~+~   
  
After dinner, the four sat around the fireplace; Giles occupied the couch while Spike laid on the white carpet spread in front it. Buffy on the other hand, reluctantly sat on a nearby armchair, pouting furiously as she stared into the fire.   
  
“This is nice." Giles began taking a sip from his brandy.   
  
Joyce nodded as she took her place on the couch next to the older man.   
  
“When are we gonna put the tree up?" Joyce asked, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at the pissed blonde on the armchair.   
  
“First thing in the morning." Giles answered.   
  
There was silence between the four of them once more. It was still awkward, but not as desperate as it had been during their first dinner.   
  
“Dinner was delicious." Giles decided to break the stillness and Buffy rolled her eyes.   
  
“Thank you, Rupert." Joyce nodded once more, giving him a blushed smile.   
  
“Erg!" Buffy growled in disgust earning a scowl from her mother.   
  
The teen immediately sat up straight and dropped her gaze to the floor. She really didn’t like her mother’s glares.   
  
Another excruciating ten minutes passed by, with a few occasional comments from Joyce and Giles, both teenagers remaining perfectly quiet during the entire time. Buffy looked at her watch for the tenth time that evening and grumbled inwardly when she realised it was only nine o’clock. Even so, she decided to follow through with her plan. Bringing her hand to her mouth she forced a yawn and outstretched her arms in a pathetic attempt to look sleepy.   
  
“God! What time is it?" She started, looking at her watch again. “Just nine? It feels like midnight. I must be really worn out from… the trip and all. Well, I’m going to bed. Goodnight."   
  
“But-“   
  
Before Mrs. Summers could finish her sentence, Buffy was already bolting up the stairs. She sighed audibly, looking at Rupert for support when Spike stood up.   
  
“I’m kinda knackered myself. I’m off."   
  
And he was out of the living room in a flash.   
  
“Don’t worry. They’ll adjust." Giles reassured Joyce, bringing his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Eventually."   
  
~+~   
  
“Worn out from the trip? What? All thirty minutes of it?"   
  
Buffy rolled her eyes as she turned around to look at the teen standing on the doorway.   
  
“What do you want?" She growled.   
  
“Nothing." He said nonchalantly as he strolled into her room.   
  
“Which part of my not wanting you in my room did you not understand?" She grumbled leaning against the wardrobe.   
  
“What do you think about it?" He asked, ignoring her question.   
  
“Think about what?"   
  
“The two love birds downstairs." Spike explained.   
  
“Trying very hard not to think about that, thank you." She retorted moving towards her bed, pulling at the covers and slipping between them to sit up against the metallic headboard. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed." She said crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for him to leave.   
  
“I don’t mind." He answered her, tilting his head and leaning on the wall next to the bed, looking down on her.   
  
“Well, I do! Leave. Now!" She ordered, pointing at the door.   
  
“You look so cute when you’re angry, you know that?"   
  
Buffy frowned at that.   
  
“Leave. Now." She repeated between clenched teeth.   
  
“You don’t really want me to, pet." He smiled down on her.   
  
“Yes, I do." Buffy retorted, raising both her eyebrows.   
  
“Sure about that?" He asked pushing himself off the wall and coming to sit on her bed.   
  
“Positive." She insisted.   
  
“Fine, if that’s what you want." He agreed, but didn’t move.   
  
“That’s what I want." She assured him.   
  
The two remained still, looking at each other. Spike stared blindly at her as if entranced.   
  
“This is the part where you leave?" Buffy piped up.   
  
“Buffy… I didn’t do anything." He said in that low voice which made her stomach turn.   
  
“I never said you did."   
  
“Then, why are you doing this?" He asked, a hint of hurt slipping into his voice.   
  
She looked at him, a mixture of anger and pain building inside of her as she swallowed hard and replied:   
  
“Goodnight, Spike."   
  
She let her tired body slip under the covers, her hands reaching for the light on her nightstand and switching it off as she snuggled between the sheets, her back turned to him. She felt her heart sink as the weight shifted on the mattress and then it was gone. The sound of slow footsteps leading away from the bed filled her ears, followed by the crack of the door being carefully shut.   
  
~+~   
  
She tossed and turned in her bed before deciding to turn on the lights to check her watch. She groaned when she realised it was only eleven o’clock. She wasn’t tired at all. It was too early plus, the knowledge that *he* was sleeping just on the other side of *that* door made her stomach do a couple of nervous flip-flops. She sat on the mattress, wondering if he was already asleep, or if he was up, thinking…   
  
After much pondering, she let her legs fall to the floor as she swung them over the covers and stood up. Barefoot, she walked on the cold wooden floor towards the door that separated the two rooms and rested her ear on the surface, straining to listen.   
  
There was complete silence. ‘Figures he would be sleeping like a baby.’ She grumbled in her thoughts.   
  
“Pig." She spat between clenched teeth as she began to move away but suddenly changed her mind.   
  
She dropped to her knees so her face was lined up with the keyhole and squinted as she tried to see what was happening on the other side of the door. She felt her heart skip a beat when she realised the lights were on. ‘Not sleeping...’ She thought as she tried to make something out, but all she could see was a surreal painting of light and shadows. She let her weight slip to the floor as she dropped her head, gluing it to the floor as she tried to see something from under the door.   
  
“Yes." She whispered triumphantly as she identified a pair of feet walking about the room in circles. She giggled a little at the sight of them, but quickly covered her mouth when she saw him freeze. She remained perfectly still for a second, waiting to see what he would do and then he moved. He disappeared from her sight only to suddenly reappear right in front of her at the foot of the door, but when she realised it, it was too late. The crack of the door swinging open was the last thing she heard before the wood smashed her across the face and she fell backwards, sprawled on the floor.   
  
“Buffy, are you ok?" A shirtless Spike cried out, realising what he had done as he entered the room.   
  
“I-I’m fine." She stuttered bravely as she stumbled to her feet, squinting wildly.   
  
“Are you sure?" He asked as he saw her wobble backwards toward the bed.   
  
“Yeah. Just having a little trouble focussing on any available object." She explained as she continued to open and close her eyes. “Hum… Spike? Why won’t things stop moving?" She wondered as she suddenly lost all balance and dropped. Thankfully she had reached the bed and was now sprawled on it.   
  
“Oh, God! I’m sorry!" Spike apologized as he came to lay next to her. “Just lay down."   
  
“I thought I was laying down." Buffy frowned as a splitting headache began to spread, starting from the bump on her forehead all the way to the back of her neck.   
  
“You are, pet. Just stay put. I’ll be right back."   
  
He left the room, but it only took about a minute for him to be back to sit on the bed, next to her, holding a pack of ice to her wound.   
  
“That feel better?" he asked clearly concerned about her.   
  
She nodded with a pout when her head started pounding. She finally opened her eyes and forced herself to sit up.   
  
“What were you doing down there?" He managed to ask.   
  
“Looking for, hum… my earrings." She lied badly as the sight of his naked torso seemed to interfere with her ability to come up with a better excuse.   
  
“They’re on your nightstand, luv." Spike stated, tilting his head and frowning.   
  
“That’s why I couldn’t find them." Buffy gave him a weak smile and her gaze dropped to the floor.   
  
He paused for a second before a wide grin spread over his lips.   
  
“Were you spying on me?"   
  
“NO!" She answered immediately; widening her eyes and standing up to nervously walk about the room.   
  
“You were." He insisted when her reaction clearly confirmed his suspicions.   
  
“You are so conceited." Buffy growled wobbling awkwardly around in circles, still a bit dizzy.   
  
“You were trying to catch a glimpse of old-“   
  
“Oh, please Spike. I’ve seen…" She struggled with a word and finally stuttered: “*it*. It’s not new anymore, remember."   
  
“Doesn’t have to be new for you to want to take a look." He replied with a smug grin which made her blood boil.   
  
“I wasn’t trying to take a look at anything, alright?" She spat raising her tone as she stopped moving and turned to face him.   
  
“No need to get upset, pet." He started, getting off the bed and closing the distance between them. “If you want…" He stood right in front of her, invading her personal space, but she refused to back away. “All you gotta do is ask, luv."   
  
“Erg, you’re a pig." She replied pushing him away to put some much needed space between them.   
  
“You never tire of saying that, do you?" He questioned turning around to see her getting into bed.   
  
“Go to bed Spike." She snarled as she let the covers drape around her after she turned off the lights. “Ah!" She screamed when she felt the mattress shift under her and the sheets being pulled away as someone snuggled into bed with her. She struggled, slapping his arms away as she stretched to reach for the light switch, fumbling with it for a few seconds, but eventually being able to turn it on. “What are you doing?! Are you out-“ Her shouting was cut short by one hand clamping around her mouth as two blue eyes stared down at her.   
  
“You wanna wake them?" He asked.   
  
Buffy’s heart raced as she took in the naked chest pressing against her, the strong hand resting on her increasingly dry mouth, the feel of his denim covered legs brushing against her bare ones.   
  
“Plus, you told me to go to bed, remember?" He began with a smirk, but it soon crumbled when he became aware of her galloping heartbeat.   
  
The two remained frozen for a few moments. Slowly, coherent thought filtered back into their minds as Spike moved his hand away from her mouth to lightly rest on the crook of her neck, his thumb running over her jaw line for a sweet caress. His head moved at its own accord bringing his lips closer to hers until they brushed together. The moment they touched, Buffy felt a string of electricity run through her body as she willingly opened her mouth, inviting him in.   
  
He moved his chest to cover hers as his tongue dove into her mouth, exploring, battling with hers. Buffy moaned into the kiss as his leg pushed between hers and rubbed between her thighs in a slow, even rhythm.   
  
She seemed to lose all ability to think. Her hands roamed madly over his back, leaving small red tracks everywhere they passed. She arched off the bed, deepening the kiss, pressing against him, needing to be as close to him as possible.   
  
His lips abandoned hers to drift to her neck, pulling at her nightgown in a frustrated attempt to expose her to him. Realising it was impossible without tearing the fabric, his hand came to cup her breast as he kissed it through the soft material, leaving it soaked in the process. She moaned as his lips teased her mercilessly, causing her to dig her nails deeper into his back.   
  
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, she seemed to have a single moment of clarity when she heard him call her muffled name.   
  
She was pushing him off her bed and covering herself with the sheets in a flash.   
  
Spike remained tumbled on the floor for a few second trying to understand what had just happened.   
  
“Get. Out." She said the words between clenched teeth.   
  
“Buf-“   
  
“I will start screaming if you are not out of here in three seconds." She glared at the confused teen.   
  
“Buffy, we need to-“   
  
“One.   
  
“-talk. You can’t just-“   
  
“Two."   
  
“Buffy, please-“   
  
“Aaaaaah!!!" She began screaming off the top lungs.   
  
Spike wobbled nervously between her and the door. Realising her cries only became louder every time he came closer to her he opted for the door, slamming it shut just as the other one opened to reveal a very worried Joyce.   
  
“Honey! Are you ok?" She asked coming to sit next to her daughter who had shut up the moment Spike had closed his door. “What happened? Are you ok?"   
  
Buffy watched as a sleepy Mr. Giles walked into the room, a large book in one hand served as a weapon, while he tried to clumsily adjust his glasses with the other.   
  
“What is it? What happened?" He asked as he scanned the room.   
  
“I-I’m ok." Buffy said in a low voice. “It was just a bad dream."   
  
“Are you sure honey?" Joyce questioned running her hand over Buffy’s flushed cheek as the door to the twin room opened, revealing an equally reddened Spike.   
  
“Yeah. I’m sure. Just a dream." Buffy answered staring straight at the bleached teen. “It won’t happen again."   
  
  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
  
Chapter 31   
  
She stumbled out of bed, inhaling sharply as her bare feet came into contact with the ice-cold floor. With eyes still narrowed from sleep she searched for her beloved slippers, smiling when she finally found them.   
  
She dragged her feet and scratched her head as she walked down the hall, pausing for a second in front of *his* door. She felt a pang in her heart at the memory of what had happened that night. The look on his face as he came back to her room, watching her as she lied to her mother... She shook the thought away and continued down the stairs to find her mother behind the counter, in the small kitchenette.   
  
“Something smells good." Buffy said with a hoarse voice.   
  
“Hey, you’re up early." Joyce noted giving her daughter a sweet smile before returning her attention to her cooking.   
  
“Pancakes, huh?" The teen leaned on the counter, reaching for a large plate that contained the newly fried goodies.   
  
She jumped back when her mother swatted her hand with a wooden spoon.   
  
“You’ll have to wait for breakfast. Giles and Spike should be back any minute.   
  
“Back?"   
  
“Yes. They went to get the Christmas tree." Joyce explained gleefully. “Now go get dressed, young lady, you know I don’t like you coming downstairs in your pj’s."   
  
Buffy hopped off the stool and was about to leave, when the door directly under the stairs flung open, revealing a flushed Giles. The blonde frowned, she had never realised there was a door there.   
  
“We’ve got the tree." He announced gingerly, setting his hand triumphantly on his hips.   
  
“Da! Do you mind?" A grumbled protest came from behind Giles as the large box was pushed towards the older man.   
  
“Oh! So sorry!" Giles awkwardly excused himself, turning his attention to the assignment.   
  
“A tree in a box?" Buffy wondered out loud as the two men hurled the carton into the living room and Spike finally came into view.   
  
With an annoyed look on his face he stood up straight and ran a hand trough his dishevelled mass of curls which refused to stay in place.   
  
“It’s an artificial one." Giles explained.   
  
“We’re having an artificial Christmas tree in a cabin? In the middle of the woods?" Buffy frowned.   
  
“I-I could never bring myself to cut down a tree." Giles stuttered, taking off his glasses and running his handkerchief over his perspired forehead. “Plus, if we miss the smell, we can just pick a few loose branches and bring them in the house."   
  
“How do you get firewood?"   
  
“We buy it…" Giles looked down and proceeded with unpacking the box.   
  
Buffy simply shook her head, glancing at the bleached blond, who was yet to say a word to her or even looked at her for that matter. She watched as he strolled towards his father, sighing loudly as he offered to open the carton for him.   
  
“Well… I’ll go and take a shower." She announced as she headed up the stairs, her eyes fixed on Spike.   
  
~+~   
  
She let her newly blow-dried hair flow freely down her back as she set the brush on the nightstand and walked over to the window. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him standing outside, on the small dock, his hands safely tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he stared out at the foggy lake. She let the curtains fall into place and headed downstairs.   
  
“Hey!" She greeted. “Oh, wow!"   
  
Her eyes went wide at the sight of the newly decorated living room. Four red Christmas stockings hung over the fireplace while, inside, flames grew, filling the cabin with warmth and the familiar scent of burnt wood. To the left, between the fire and the kitchenette, stood the tree, still half decorated in shades of red and white. The room seemed completely transformed and Buffy felt her body relax as, for the first time, she thought that, maybe, this Christmas wouldn’t be so bad after all.   
  
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" Joyce asked as she finished setting the pancakes on the table near the window.   
  
Buffy nodded as she entered the living room with her arms crossed over her chest and a soft smile on her lips as she watched Giles clumsily try to put a small angel on one of the branches. She shook her head and reached for the piece placing in properly.   
  
“Thank you." Giles smiled at the short teen.   
  
“You’re welcome."   
  
“Breakfast is ready." Joyce announced looking out the window. “Buffy, could you go out and call Spike?"   
  
“Sure." Buffy nodded, heading out the door.   
  
~+~   
  
She walked slowly down to the dock. He seemed oblivious to her presence, remaining perfectly still, immersed in his thoughts. Buffy cleared her throat when she stood just a couple of feet away from him. He immediately spun around to look at her but didn’t say anything as his glance quickly returned to the crystal water that surrounded them. Buffy swallowed dryly at the cold reaction and uttered:   
  
“Breakfast is ready."   
  
He nodded and turned around, heading for the cabin, leaving her alone on the dock in the cold.   
  
~+~   
  
The moment breakfast was over he jumped out of his seat and headed up stairs without saying a word. Buffy felt her heart sink at that and continued to pick at her pancakes with her fork.   
  
“Are you alright honey?" Joyce questioned as she started clearing the table.   
  
“I’m fine." She shook herself out of her daze and stood up, gathering a few plates on her way to the kitchenette.   
  
“You seem kind of quiet." Her mother noted.   
  
“Just a bit sleepy, I guess." She tried to explain as she began washing the plates.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy tapped her nails on the counter, bored out of her mind. After washing and drying the dishes she had sat down on the stool and had remained there for the last ten minutes with absolutely nothing to do. Joyce and Giles sat cosily on the couch reading through the newspaper and a few magazines. ‘A few very dull magazines.’ Buffy corrected as she slid off the stool and started pacing.   
  
Neither adult on the sofa looked up, too absorbed in their reading to notice her boredom. She sighed and headed up the stairs.   
  
She entered her room and resumed pacing. Her mind drifted over the events of that day. Spike hadn’t said a word to her all day, barely even glanced at her and, for some reason that caused her stomach to turn and an uncomfortable knot settle on her throat. She plopped down on the bed only to scramble quickly to her feet when she felt something cold and wet under her. She sighed and picked up the wet towel feeling the covers and realising they were soaked too.   
  
“Great." She mumbled between her teeth as she exited her room and entered the bathroom.   
  
She froze. It was only when she was half into the room that she heard the familiar sound of running water. She knew that the right thing to do was to turn on her heels and just leave, but she found herself glancing over to the shower. For a moment she cursed the thick curtains that draped around it, but as her eyes adjusted to the blurred effect, she was able to see the outlines of a wide, masculine back turned to her, one hand was put up against the wall, the other… She frowned when she saw the quick, erratic movements his arm was making. After a couple of seconds her eyes went wide as soft moaning sounds finally seemed to reach her ears. Oh, God, was he? She strained to hear the rapid breathing, the occasional repressed gasp. He was! Buffy turned bright red. One part of her yelled at her to leave the room at once, the other compelled her to stay and watch. The latter seemed to be strongest as she remained perfectly still watching in awe as he continued to move his hand between his thighs in a fast, eager pace until, suddenly, he stopped and his body began to convulse in short jerks that propelled him against the wall.   
  
“Cor… Buffy."   
  
She felt her stomach flip-flop at the hoarse sound of her name being called out as he slumped against the wall, letting the warm water fall on him. As her brain slowly processed the information it had just been fed, she stumbled back a bit causing her elbow to brush against something. She turned to see the plastic bottle wobble a bit, but before she could reach it, it fell to the floor with a loud thud. She seemed to be frozen in place, her eyes still glued to the shampoo on the floor as she refused to look up at… him.   
  
Spike jolted to attention at the sound, immediately turning and pushing the curtain aside. His eyes widened when he saw her semi-bent over, her hand reaching for a bottle now on the floor.   
  
Buffy swallowed hard as her heart slammed against her chest at a frightening pace, she could feel her skin growing redder and redder by the second. Finally she gathered enough strength to look up at him.   
  
“I was-“ She immediately looked away from the completely nude and soaked man standing in the shower, the water still running behind him.   
  
Spike jumped, nervously looking around for a towel. His eyes fell on the white fabric draped over the toilet seat, right next to Buffy. He was about to step out of the shower, when she reached out and handed him her own towel.   
  
“I-I was just… um… Just… um…" She stuttered panicky. ‘Stupid words…’ she grumbled inwardly as she watched from the corner of her eyes that he had already turned the water off and covered himself with the towel she had handed him.   
  
“Buffy, I-“   
  
Looking at him, she piped up: “I was just leaving."   
  
And she was out the door and into her room in record time.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He growled as he stepped out of the shower, nearly stumbling over the shampoo bottle on the floor on his way out.   
  
~+~   
  
‘Please don’t come after me, please don’t come after me, please don’t come-‘ Buffy stopped her mental mantra when the door to her bedroom was flung open and a soaking Spike stepped in. She let her eyebrows drop for a frustrated sigh as she turned around to face the music.   
  
“I-I didn’t see anything." She immediately announced before correcting herself: “I mean I did, but it was just when you pulled the curtain and were… well, naked. B-but other than that – nothing! Not a thing. I was just there for like a second before the bottle fell. A-and even if I had been there before the bottle thing – which I wasn’t! – there wouldn’t be anything to see“ At his frown she rephrased: “N-not that you don’t have anything to see, I mean you do, but the curtain was thick and-and it doesn’t really matter cause I wasn’t there and I didn’t see anything or hear –“ She stopped herself when she realised she was babbling. “Sorry. Babbling."   
  
“I’ve noticed." The Brit forced a smile as he closed the door behind him and stepped in.   
  
“I-I’m sorry, next time I’ll knock." Buffy reassured him as her gaze bounced off the walls at anything but his bare chest.   
  
“Knocking is good." He agreed taking a step towards her.   
  
“Well," She brought her hands together. “I guess that’s settled. I’ll knock. Let the records show that the knocking proposal was approved." She joked with a forced smile as she squeezed her fingers together.   
  
He tilted his head and watched her nervously pressing her palms into one another.   
  
“Buffy, about before-“   
  
“Don’t know what you’re talking about." She immediately jumped in, blushing even more.   
  
“Yesterday? Last night?" Spike elaborated.   
  
“Oh, that." She realised. ‘Not a good topic either, but at least it’s better than *Why I was moaning your name while masturbating*’   
  
“Yeah, that. What did you think I was talking about?" Spike frowned a bit.   
  
“Nothing!" She answered a little too eagerly and it seemed to confirm Spike’s suspicions.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He mumbled.   
  
“What?" She asked a bit afraid of the answer.   
  
“Nothing." He replied turning around to leave, but stopped in mid-stride to turn around, resolve fixed on his face. “You know what? I do."   
  
“Do what?" she questioned backing away when he walked over to her, invading her personal space.   
  
“Think about you when I wank off." He stated without any kind of shame.   
  
Buffy froze, her eyes wide, her cheeks turning to a furious shade of red.   
  
“I-I" She stuttered as she was finally backed up against the wall and Spike towered in front of her.   
  
“You’re all I bloody think about. I can’t get you out of my head. No matter how much of a bitch you’ve been lately."   
  
“E-excuse me?" She tried to sound outraged, but it came out as a meek attempt at a protest.   
  
“You heard me Summers." He retorted, letting his hand rest on the wall just over her right shoulder.   
  
“I-I don’t have to stay here and listen to-“ She started and she tried to move but a strong grip on her arm stopped her and forced her to back up against the wall again.   
  
“You *will* listen. For once in your life." He growled. “For the one thousandth time: I. Didn’t. Do. A. Bloody. Thing. Wrong." He pulled the words out, one by one as he stared down at her. He paused waiting for a reaction. When he realised she wasn’t going to oppose, he pushed himself off the wall and started pacing in front of her. “You really wanna know why I got into a fight with Angel?" He never gave her a chance to answer: “It’s none of you sodding business but I’ll tell you anyway. It had absolutely *nothing* to do with you or Dru. It was for the same reason I suddenly stopped hanging out with Angel. Remember? Angel and I used to hang out together quite a lot when I first came here. I wasn’t too keen on him. Knew from the start he was pretty much an idiot, but I decided: ‘What the hell, let’s give him a chance.’ Eventually, my first instinct was right. He’s a complete idiot and a wanker!" He rambled while Buffy remained frozen up against the wall, watching him furiously walk around in circles until he came to a halt and looked at her. “It was because of Andrew."   
  
Buffy frowned: “Andrew? What does Andrew have to do with anything?"   
  
“Well, one day I walk into the locker rooms to find Angel beating the scrawny thing into a bloody pulp. The poor kid was in the hospital for two whole weeks. Wouldn’t tell anyone who had done it, scared shitless that the ponce would do something." Seeing the confused look on her face he tilted his head. “You didn’t even realise he was gone, did you? Sure, it’s not like you know Andrew even exists, let alone notice he was gone for two weeks."   
  
Buffy swallowed dryly, noting that it was true.   
  
“Anyway, I pulled Angel off the kid and socked him back, telling him if he ever laid a finger on Andrew again… Well, you know, told him something nasty and extremely cliché to give him the right idea." He watched as Buffy took in the information. “Everything was fine after that. No problems. Until the other day when Andrew smashed into us in the hall. The look on his face. I just knew that Angel was up to something. I talked to Andrew, he denied it at first but eventually he admitted it. So I did what I had promised and beat the crap out of Angel. And that’s it. It was nothing over you, or Dru or anything of the sort. Happy?" He finally asked after his long dissertation.   
  
Buffy just stared at him with her mouth half open. All that information. It was a little too much to process, especially with naked-Spike in front of her.   
  
“Why?" She finally managed to ask. “Why would Angel beat up Andrew?"   
  
Spike paused. This was the question he didn’t want to answer, but he sighed and reluctantly uttered:   
  
“Andrew plays for the other team, luv."   
  
“Huh?" Buffy frowned.   
  
“He’s gay, pet."   
  
“So?"   
  
“You knew?" Spike asked in disbelief.   
  
“I didn’t know-know. But, I mean, I always just kinda figured..." Buffy rolled her eyes.   
  
“Oh. Right." He said a bit taken off guard by her reaction at the revelation. “So that’s the big secret. Andrew’s gay and Angel found out he had a secret crush on him and being extremely insecure in his masculinity the wanker pummelled the kid." Spike said succinctly.   
  
Buffy stood there, staring at Spike.   
  
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?" She finally asked a bit outraged.   
  
“Because it wasn’t something I could tell you. It wasn’t my secret to tell. I’m not gonna go outing the poor fellow just because my girlfriend has absolutely no trust in me. Plus you were really pissing me off. How could you think I beat up Angel because of Dru?" It was Spike’s turn to question.   
  
“Well… I… um… I sort of bumped into Angel. And he hinted that-“   
  
“And you believed him?" Spike questioned in disbelief.   
  
“I didn’t at first!" Buffy defended herself. “But then I asked you and you just avoided the subject and I thought – Busted!"   
  
They stared at each other for a while in silence until Buffy took a step closer, looking up at him from under hooded eyes as she reached for him. He immediately stepped back, bringing his hands up as if someone was holding him at gunpoint. Buffy stopped dead in her tracks, her heart slamming against her chest as the realisation of what was happening dawned on her.   
  
“Spike, I-“   
  
“You should have trusted me. You should have believed in me." He said in a low voice. “I can’t be with you like this."   
  
Buffy let her gaze fall to the floor as he walked over to the door that lead to the room. Suddenly, he turned around and made his way back to her with ground-eating steps.   
  
“God, who am I kidding?" He breathed before crushing her mouth with his as his naked arms wrapped around her small form to bring her closer to him.   
  
Buffy’s response was immediate as her hands erratically reached for his shoulder. Her fingers swiftly gliding over the soft skin seeking the back of his neck and then moved up to dive in between his wet curls as she responded to his kiss with the intensity and hunger as he did.   
  
His own hands ran wildly over her clothed body, down her back to cup her behind and bring her up against him. He moved, instinctively guiding them towards the bed, causing Buffy to topple onto the mattress when she reached its edge; Spike following her, never breaking the famished kiss.   
  
The Brit fought with the hem of her sweater pulling it upwards over her head to reveal the simple white bra that covered her breasts. His fingers reached for the small mound cupping it lightly as his mouth crushed hers for another demanding battle.   
  
Spike gasped, breaking the kiss when her tiny hand sneaked between their bodies and found its way through the white towel to wrap itself around his cock.   
  
“Cor, I missed you." He breathed into her ear as he began trailing his way down her neck with hungry open-mouth kisses until he reached one of her cotton-clad breast.   
  
It was Buffy’s turn to exhale sharply when he pushed the white fabric away and his lips brushed over her erect nipple. She arched into his touch as she slowly began to pump him in a slow, steady rhythm. She felt a wave of feminine pride wash over her as she watched and listened to him helplessly moan her name under her ministrations.   
  
Suddenly, he seemed to partially wake from his daze as his hands began working on the buttons of her jeans. Buffy relaxed into his touch, slowly drifting deeper into her daze, when a giggling sound reached her ear. She frowned at first, but suddenly it hit her: ‘My mom’s downstairs. Oh, god, oh, God, oh God!.’   
  
“No." She said, jumping up and reluctantly pushing him to crawl away from him.   
  
“What? What now?" He asked desperately trying to move over her again but she squirmed off the bed leaving him on the mattress alone.   
  
“Your dad and my mom, downstairs. That’s what." She explained reaching for her sweater, but before she could grab it she was trapped between his arms and his mouth was on her neck.   
  
“I’ll be quiet. I promise." His voice was muffled by the kisses he placed on her collarbone.   
  
“I bet you…" She gasped. “will, but I can’t promise I’ll be... quiet." She managed to push him away again. “Now, get your clothes on."   
  
“I’ll be really quick. You won’t even feel a thing, so you don’t have to worry about making any noises." He joked walking over to her.   
  
Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and he dropped his shoulders in defeat.   
  
“Buffy, I don’t think I can go a whole week without touching you or…" he tilted his head towards the bed.   
  
“You’ll have to." She insisted as he came closer to her and his hand grazed over her hips and down to the valley between her thighs to slowly press against the stop where her clit was. “Spike…" She tried to sound serious and determined but the way he was touching her… it was impossible!   
  
“Buffy, please." He begged into her ear as his nuzzled against her hair, his finger still moving over her.   
  
“Ok." She finally agreed and he lashed out for her neck. “No! Not now!" she pushed him away once more and put on her sweater. “Tonight. When they’re asleep."   
  
“But…"   
  
“Tonight." She repeated throwing the towel at him and he reluctantly grabbed it, draping it around his waist.   
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to Ali for betaing this fic and for supporting it! ;) Chapter 32   
  
Author’s Note: I know, I know, I had promised you guys two chapters and you’re only getting one. I’m really, really sorry. It’s just that exams ended and well… You know college. We make up any excuse to have a party. Can you imagine what we do when we actually have an excuse for it? I’m sorry. I’ll try to make it up to you. ;)   
  
Buffy yawned audibly for the tenth time that evening as she patiently listened to her mother’s rambling.   
  
“Oh! And we can also make that special apple mincemeat crumble you love so much." Joyce piped up gingerly, completely oblivious to her daughter’s boredom.   
  
“Great mom." Buffy replied unenthusiastically as she ran her nails on the counter next to where her mom scribbled hurriedly on a small notepad.   
  
“Well, I’ll need to buy some Brazilian nuts and quick cooking oats for that one. What else?" The older woman looked up from the yellow paper she held in her hands; a bright childlike spark in her eyes as she gazed blindly at her daughter for suggestions.   
  
“I think you’ve got enough food there to feed the entire United States Marines Corps, mom." Buffy grumbled as she nervously looked at her watch. Two hours. Two whole hours had passed since Spike had ‘gone to bed’. Man, he was going to be pissed when she finally made it up to her room. Pissed or sound asleep.   
  
“Oh, come on. It’s not that much." Joyce commented scanning trough the enormous grocery list that filled ten whole pages. “What about the broccoli-cheese casserole?"   
  
“No! No broccoli, mom. It’s Christmas Eve!" Buffy immediately snapped out of her daze, holding up her small hand at the eminent threat of having to eat vegetables on Christmas Eve.   
  
“Um… I guess you’re right." Mrs. Summers finally agree, putting the cap back on the pen while standing up to enter the kitchenette.   
  
Buffy’s eyes brightened at the thought of going to bed, but she covered her excitement by yawning once again.   
  
“I’m tired. I think I’ll go up to bed." She said jumping off the stool and raising herself on her to give her mother a light peck on the cheek. “Goodnight, mom."   
  
“Goodnight, honey. I think I’ll turn in too." She replied as she watched her daughter practically fly up the stairs. “She’s gonna wake up Giles and Spike." Joyce mumbled to herself, hearing Buffy stomp her way to her room.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy stopped just outside her door, taking in a deep breath as she felt her stomach do the funny little flip-flopping thing it always did every time she knew she was about to see him. She ran her hands over her hair, smoothing out the wild locks that cascades down her back. After she was absolutely sure she looked her best, she put on the sleepiest face she could muster and turned the knob.   
  
There was complete darkness in the room when she entered.   
  
“Spike?" She whispered in a low voice as she squinted and narrowed her eyes to see while her left hand blindly travelled over the wall next to her, searching for the light switch. “Are you here?"   
  
She felt her heart sink, a bit disappointed when suddenly she found herself being pinned against a cold surface, the door slamming shut behind her as a hard, lean body now pressed against her. Before she could even make a sound, ravenous lips smashed against hers for a demanding kiss, while two strong hands seemed to want to cover every inch of her as they travelled up and down her frame.   
  
“Spike…" She managed to breathe once his lips abandoned hers and proceeded to kiss her earlobe as he buried his face in her soft curls.   
  
“What took you so long?" She heard him ask with a hoarse voice as he continued to lick and suck at the tender flesh of her neck, his chest still pressing against hers, his hips pinning hers to the wooden surface.   
  
She gasped when she felt something long and hard pressing against her stomach and suddenly she wasn’t able to speak.   
  
“I… um…"   
  
“I’ve been dying here, Summers." He breathed, as his left hand came to cup her breast over the cotton of her sweater.   
  
“My mom…" She tried to form a coherent sentence, but it seemed impossible as she watched him step away from her for just enough time to bring his shirt and t-shirt over his head. He let the garments drop to the floor as his mouth attacked her collarbone and his hands wormed their way under her sweater, eagerly travelling up her frame and bunching it up.   
  
“Off…" She was able to hear him say between the series of open mouth kisses he was placing at the base of her throat.   
  
“I… my mom…" She tried to speak, her hands feebly trying to push him away from her so she would be able to form a coherent line of thought, but her body betrayed her as her fingers lingered down his back.   
  
His hands grabbed the hem of her sweater and yanked it up further. In a second it lay discarded on the floor, next to his clothes as Spike started working on her white lacy bra while his mouth dropped to kiss the upper curve of her breasts.   
  
“Spike…" She breathed, her eyebrows frowning a bit as she tried hard to concentrate. “My mom’s-"   
  
She was cut off by Spike’s lips as they found hers once again. His tongue used the opportunity to slip into her partially open mouth and quickly moved to explore the inside, while his hands blindly worked on the clasp of her bra.   
  
He sighed into her mouth when he finally opened it. His fingers travelled over her shoulders, dragging the thin strings down her arms. He pulled away to watch the small piece of fabric fall to the floor and expose two small, round globes.   
  
He started at them for a second, his breath catching in his throat for a moment as he saw her bare breasts for the first time.   
  
The moment of pause gave Buffy enough time to rewire her brain so she was able to say what she had been trying to since he had started kissing her. Quickly, she bent over, hastily picking up all the discarded clothes and shoving his against his chest as she breathed:   
  
“My mom’s not in bed yet."   
  
Spike snapped out of his thought and partially pouted when he saw her cover herself and push him away.   
  
“What?" He asked still a bit dazed.   
  
“My mom! She’s still up. She can come in at any-“   
  
She was cut off by the sound of a door being closed down the hall.   
  
“I guess your mom’s gone to bed." Spike managed to say before grabbing the clothes, throwing them on the floor and wrapping his arms around her small form to crush his mouth against hers.   
  
Buffy moaned into the kiss, as they stumbled back to the bed. She gasped as their bodies impacted against the soft mattress, his mouth leaving hers to trail down her neck, his hands masterfully sneaking between their bodies to work on the buttons of her jeans.   
  
She was about to protest, but lost all intent when she felt his lips encircle one hardened nipple, his hand cupping her breast to direct the tender flesh into his mouth.   
  
She seemed lost in the feeling, only breaking out of it when she felt him tug her jeans down her legs. She quickly toed her shoes off, enabling him to strip her of all her remaining clothing.   
  
He propped himself up on his hands, hovering over her as he gazed down at her naked form. She felt the flush raise to her cheeks under the intense stare and thanked whatever gods there were that she hadn’t been able to turn on the lights and that the only brightness filling the room were the soft rays of the moon streaming from the window.   
  
One strong hand came to cup her cheek and force her to look up at him.   
  
“God… you’re so beautiful." He breathed dropping to kiss her.   
  
She moaned into his mouth as his hips moved between hers and the rough material of his jeans brushed against the tender spot where her legs came together.   
  
Blindly, her hands travelled down his chest to find his zipper, quickly pulling it down and popping the top button open. She smiled against his mouth when she realised he wasn’t wearing any underwear… again. Her small finger hocked on the hem of the jeans and pulled them down his hips to his knees, where her feet came into play and helped push the denim further down, till they were bunched up around his ankles.   
  
Spike struggled a bit with his boots. Stupid combat boots. Why did he wear them? He grumbled inwardly as he found himself forced to abandon her to sit down at the edge of the bed and work at the laces of his boots. In record time, he had them off and was safely in her arms, his mouth travelling down her neck to claim her breast once again.   
  
Her fingers dug into his bleached curls, as his mouth worked on one of her breasts while one of his hands kneaded the other. He expertly fingered her hardened nipple into a frenzy and then, slowly trailed down the side of her stomach to dive between her legs.   
  
Buffy threw her head back as she felt him trace the contours of her feminine folds without daring to go any further. She moaned, a bit desperate as he continued to play with her outer lips, moving up and down, carefully avoiding her centre as well as the needy bundle of nerves at the apex.   
  
“Want something, pet?" He asked, grinning against the tender flesh of her breast.   
  
“Spike…" She breathed looking down at him with hungry eyes.   
  
“Yes…?" He continued to question as his tongue curled around her nipple.   
  
“Please…" She moaned as his finger came inches away from her clit, but quickly moved away.   
  
“You sure?" He smiled again.   
  
“Spike!" She protested, swatting him over the shoulder. Why did he always have to tease her like that? “I-“   
  
She stopped in mid sentence as his index finger flickered over her clit.   
  
“Ah…"   
  
“Like that?" He asked as he did it again.   
  
Buffy nodded wildly as her nails dug into his back.   
  
He pressed harder against the sensitive bundle and she moaned under his ministrations. His finger trailed down to find the moist entrance to her womb; it circled its contours a couple of times, causing Buffy to grind her teeth together in expectation. Pushing one long finger into her, he watched in awe as her neck arched as her head fell back on the mattress.   
  
He slowly moved in and out of her, searching for the right stop inside of her with every stroke. He knew he had found it when he heard her breath catch in her throat and a strangled cry escaped her o-shaped lips.   
  
The expert finger continued to massage her, moving in and out, accelerating the pace and building up the rhythm as he stared at her intensely.   
  
He swallowed hard at the sight of her facial muscles contorting in pleasure, as small ravenous mewls reached his ears. He closed his eyes for a second, trying hard to find the control necessary to stop himself from pushing her legs apart and burying himself in her. He tried to focus on anything, but the amazing sounds she was making broke all and any concentration.   
  
“Spike…" She moaned his name and his eyes flew open to see her arch off the mattress to let out a strangled cry as the walls that surrounded his finger contracted wildly; her nails trailed bruising tracks down his arm as she came.   
  
She let her body fall limply on the bed, her eyes closed, her chest raising and falling erratically as she pulled hard breaths from her lungs. Her eyes opened again when she felt his lips brush over her neck.   
  
Her numb hands found their way between their bodies and encircled his hard cock. She bit her bottom lip, when she heard him gasp, his forehead resting on the mattress just over her shoulder.   
  
She slowly began to pump him and felt a chill run down her spine when she heard him mewl:   
  
“Buffy… Missed you so much." His fingers ran between her long, blonde locks as she worked on him, pushing him closer to the edge with every stroke.   
  
His grip on her hair tightened when she flickered a finger over the sensitive tip, brushing away the few drops of liquid there.   
  
“Wait!" He warned her, freezing on top of her.   
  
“Did it hurt?" She asked a bit unsure. She didn’t have a lot of practice at this and she still felt extremely insecure about it.   
  
“No…" He shook his head as he swallowed dryly. “It’s just… if you do that one more time, I’m gonna come."   
  
Buffy eyes brightened with female pride at his words.   
  
“Isn’t that the point?" She smiled as she prepared to move her finger again, but one strong grip on her wrist, stopped her.   
  
“It’ll be messy." He explained.   
  
“Oh…" She realised.   
  
“Plus… I’d rather…" He tilted his head downwards.   
  
“Oh…" She repeated with a mischievous grin as she parted her legs wider, inviting him in.   
  
He pushed his eyelids closed in order to be able to move off the bed.   
  
Buffy frowned a bit and watched as he dug through the pile of clothes on the floor; his actions extremely reminiscent of their first night but, this time, when his hand left the pockets of his jeans it was filled with at least five plastic wrappers. He sat on the bed, quickly working to get the condom. In the meantime, Buffy lay on the bed, dwelling on whether of not to tell him…   
  
“Spike, we don’t need-“   
  
“Just a second." He halted her with one hand while the other continued to struggle with the prophylactic. “There!" He said triumphantly as he cat-crawled his way to nestle himself between her legs.   
  
Buffy stared wide-eyed up at him, as he positioned himself at her entrance; whatever she had been trying to say before vanished from her mind as his hips dipped down and she felt him push between her wet lips.   
  
Spike shut his eyes and took in a deep breath as he felt her inner walls clamp around him. It wasn’t as big of a shock as it had been the first time, but it still managed to take his breath away just how tight she was. He paused for a second, letting her adjust to him. He opened his eyes to meet hers. He found her with a smile on her lips. The moment he started moving in and out of her, it crumbled, to be replaced by an expression of complete awe and pleasure.   
  
The rhythm began at a slow pace, slowly building up, growing faster and harder with each stoke until his hips were practically slamming into her.   
  
She opened her mouth to let out a silent cry as the tension built inside of her. Even in that moment of complete daze, in a distant part of her mind she still remembered that her mother was sleeping just down the small corridor. She bit down on her bottom lip; hers nails digging into the back of his arms as the pleasure became impossible to suppress, causing him to wince in pain.   
  
“Sorry…" she mewled as her hands dropped to her sides to grasp the sheets underneath her. Her small fingers burrowed into the fabric, nearly ripping it to pieces as she tried to stomp herself from crying out in pleasure.   
  
Spike rolled his eyes back in their sockets as he felt her get tighter and wetter with each stroke.   
  
“Fuck… Buffy." He mumbled into her neck as his hand came to cup her left breast.   
  
“Spike." She started as she realised she was closer to the edge. “I can’t… I’m gonna… Oh, God!" She moaned as he moved quickly in and out of her. “I-I’m gonna scream." She finally managed to say between ragged breaths; her nails still digging into the sheets as she arched off the mattress and prepared to cry out.   
  
“Shh…" He whispered into her ear as his hand abandoned her breast to clamp down on her mouth, muffling her cry. He continued to pump in and out of her, his fingers over her lips as he watched her battle with herself.   
  
Her eyebrows were crunched up to there maximum, her eyes closed shut as soft moans tumbled from her covered mouth and into his hand.   
  
When he thought she had been able to control herself, his grip softened and he let his hand drop to the bed.   
  
“Ah!" She mewled when he pushed harder into her. “Oh, God… Spike. I’m gonna… A-“   
  
Her scream was cut short as his mouth crushed against hers to swallow the cry of pleasure. Behind his closed lips, Spike’s eyes rolled back as he felt her practically squeeze the life out of him as her orgasm surged through her, causing her body to slightly trash underneath his.   
  
In wasn’t long before he was following her; his mouth abandoning hers and falling partially open, his eyes closing tightly shut, his grip on the sheet next to her shoulder tightening before he fell limply on top of her.   
  
He lay motionless until he heard her breathe:   
  
“Need… oxygen here… Being… smothered to… death."   
  
“Oh, God. I’m sorry." He said immediately rolling off of her.   
  
He sighed in relief when he saw her smiling up at him.   
  
“Gotcha." She whispered.   
  
“Ha-ha. Very funny." He tried to sound annoyed as he sat up on the side of the bed, quickly taking off the used condom before laying back down next to her.   
  
“You could never smother me. Too skinny." She mocked.   
  
“Look who’s talking." He retorted.   
  
“Hey!" She frowned.   
  
Smiling he curled his arms around her and brought her against his chest. They lay there for a few seconds, staring up at the ceiling until Buffy broke the stillness:   
  
“Um… Spike…" She began a bit uncertain.   
  
“Yes, pet?"   
  
“It’s… um kinda cold. Can we get under the covers?"   
  
“Oh, God yes!" He sighed in relief as they immediately stood up and crawled under the sheets.   
  
“Oh, God yes?" She frowned as she lay on the bed, her head coming to rest on his chest as her left leg swung over his.   
  
“It was cold. But if *I* had said anything about it, *I* would have been an insensitive creep who was trying to sneak himself out of the mandatory post-coitus cuddling session." Spike explained.   
  
“I wouldn’t have thought you were an insensitive creep." She defended herself.   
  
“Right. Buffy. With our track record, I’m amazed you haven’t come up with an excuse to kick me out of your bed by now."   
  
“Hey!" She protested propping her chin on his chest to look up at him.   
  
“It’s true."   
  
“Is not."   
  
“Is too."   
  
“Is not."   
  
“See. We’re already fighting." He noted.   
  
“Are not. You are just-“   
  
She was cut off by his mouth as his hand cupped the back of her head and forced her to kiss him. Soon she was eagerly replying, her tongue worming its way into his mouth to deepen the kiss. She mewled in protest when he pulled away.   
  
“I guess the only way to keep us from fighting is to kiss you." He said with a wicked grin.   
  
“I think I like that technique." She smiled back at him, giving him a light peck on the lips before resting on his chest once again.   
  
They lay on the bed, in a tight in embrace as Buffy let out a soft sigh.   
  
“What?" Spike asked.   
  
“I like this." She smiled, trailing small kisses on his chest.   
  
“I like this too. And we could’ve been doing this last night too, if you’d only trust me." Spike replied. He tried to make it sound like a childish retort, but she could see a glimpse of hurt in his eyes.   
  
“I’m sorry." She apologized as she looked up at him.   
  
“It’s ok."   
  
“No, it’s not. I should have trusted you. It’s just that… you just made the whole thing so secretive, what was I supposed to do?"   
  
“Oh, I don’t know? Trust me." He jibed, receiving a light swat over his right arm.   
  
“I said I was sorry."   
  
“I know, pet." He leaned in and gave her a light peck on the forehead.   
  
“I mean, how was I supposed to know that you were all ‘defender of the oppressed’?"   
  
Spike smiled at the title.   
  
“Poor Andrew. Having a crush on that poofter. Bloody rotten taste."   
  
At his words, Buffy couldn’t help but giggle against his skin.   
  
“What?" He enquired with a frown but got no answer. “What?" he insisted.   
  
“Oh, nothing."   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“I think Andrew has evolved in his taste of men. Much like I have.   
  
“Come again?"   
  
Buffy looked up as him, her chin now resting on her hand that lay over his chest as her eyes sparkled mischievously at him.   
  
“I don’t think Andrew likes Angel anymore."   
  
“Really?"   
  
“Really. Especially now that he has his knight in shining armour." Buffy giggled again as her fingers ran over the contours of his pectoral muscles.   
  
“Huh?"   
  
Buffy shook her head. It was amazing just how blind Spike was sometimes.   
  
“Andrew has a crush on you." She announced.   
  
“What!?"   
  
“Andrew. Has. A. Crush. On. You." She pronounced each word as carefully as she could.   
  
“What? No. He likes the ponce." Spike replied.   
  
“Spike. Everyone at the school knows this. Just like everyone knew that he was gay Except you, apparently. I mean, the way he stares at you during lunchtime is a dead giveaway. And why do you think you won for Homecoming King. It’s not like you’re Mr. Popularity." At Spike’s still confused look she continued: “He rigged the votes." Spike continued to stare dumbly at her and she patted him on the chest as she said in a motherly tone: “Trust me. He has a crush on you."   
  
“No, he does not." Spike insisted.   
  
“Fine. He doesn’t. Whatever." Buffy rolled her eyes as she turned on her side, her back facing him.   
  
There was a moment of silence, before Spike awkwardly asked:   
  
“Andrew has a crush on me?"   
  
  
  
Chapter 33   
  
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! ;)   
  
She exhaled sharply as she rolled onto her back, feeling the sheets caress her naked skin as she moved. Her eyes sluggishly fluttered open as rough fingers traced her collarbone. She squinted a bit, trying to focus her sight. Slowly, her eyes fixed on his moonlit form. A soft smile spread over her lips as she watched him; his head, slightly tilted, propped up by his left hand while the fingers on his right one still rested on her neck.   
  
“Hey…" She greeted with a hoarse voice.   
  
“Hey…" He replied back.   
  
Their gazes remained locked for a couple of seconds.   
  
“What time is it?" She asked as she abruptly moved to her side and reached for the watch on the nightstand. She squinted as she turned on the light. “It’s past six a.m. You better go." She said turning to face him again, setting the watch back in its place.   
  
“It’s still early." He protested as he reached over her and turned off the light before his mouth dove for her neck.   
  
“Early? You’re father is gonna be up in an hour." She noted as her hand half-heartedly reached for the lamp switch but suddenly found herself too weak to do so.   
  
“There’s still time." He murmured as he traced a series of kisses down her neck and over her collarbone, his weight coming to rest over hers.   
  
“Spike…" She managed to breathe as his mouth reached her breast.   
  
Her head lolled back on the pillow as his tongue encircled her nipple, his teeth occasionally scraping over the tender flesh causing her to tense up, only to relax a few seconds later. His hand cupped her breast, giving it a light squeeze as he brought it closer to his mouth.   
  
Unconsciously, she pouted when he abandoned her breast to travel over her lean stomach, his tongue momentarily diving into her perfectly shaped navel. She was completely lost in the sensation and it was only the subtle pressure he applied over her left leg that broke her out of her daze. His motion caused her to part her thighs and she realised then what his intentions were as she watched his head slither down between her legs.   
  
Her fingers immediately grabbed a hold of his tussled curls, forcing him up and away from her. He looked at her from under a frown:   
  
“What’s the matter?" He asked a bit disappointed, he had looked forward to this ever since they had made up. He had thought about it, over and over while he waited for more than two hours in her room.   
  
“I don’t want you to." She replied shyly.   
  
“Wha’? Why not?" He questioned as his chin rested on her stomach.   
  
“I-I just don’t like it, that’s all. You know that. I’ve told you." She pouted a bit.   
  
Spike simply tilted his head, his eyebrows coming together to let her know that she would have to explain herself better.   
  
She let out a loud sigh and rolled her eyes before she began:   
  
“When Angel and I-“ She stopped for a second when she felt his grip on her thighs grow stronger, his facial muscles twitching at the sound of the quarterback’s name. “When we were together…" His jaw clenched and unclenched, but he remained silent, waiting. “He did… that." She awkwardly waved her index finger downwards as her eyes travelled all over the walls, trying to avoid his stare. “And it wasn’t really all that special." She finished, her gaze finally finding his.   
  
“Well…" He purred a little as his chin grazed over her stomach on its way down between her legs. “Maybe the poofter just didn’t know what he was doing." He grinned a bit as he lowered his mouth to the inside of her thigh and nibbled at it while his eyes remained fixed on hers.   
  
“Or maybe I just don’t like it." She insisted as she jolted her leg, trying to push him away, but his hands gripped her thighs and forced them down on the mattress.   
  
“Only one way to find out, pet…" He murmured as his placed a trail of open-mouth kisses on her thighs, making his way to the spot where her legs came together.   
  
“Spike, please don’t…" She begged unconvincingly as her hand tried to pull his away. “I don’t want- Ah!"   
  
She let out a strangled cry as his tongue traced the contours of her outer lips.   
  
“I promise, pet…" He whispered as his hands pushed her legs further apart, opening her up to him. “You’ll like it." He breathed before his lips capture one of her outer folds into his mouth causing her to catch her breath and grip the sheets at her sides.   
  
After suckling at her tender flesh for a few moments, he let it go to look up at her. A proud, cockish grin spread over his lips at the sight of her beautiful, flushed face contorting in pleasure. His eyes continued fixed on her as his tongue darted out to lick her inner folds, tracing them up and down, carefully avoiding the sensitive bundle where they came together.   
  
He slowly tortured her for what seemed like an eternity, lapping at the abundant juices that now coated her. Her body twisted as she anxiously waited for him to make a move and, eventually, he did. His lips finally encircled her clit and her grip on the sheets became tighter, her teeth bit into her lower lip as she tried to stop herself from screaming. His own fingers dug into her thighs as her repressed mewls and moans reached his ears, making it almost impossible to bear. He forced his eyes shut, trying to focus on her as he buried his mouth between her folds. His lips opened over her clit, greedily sucking it into his mouth, causing her to gasp and run her fingers through his bleached locks. His tongue eagerly worked on her as one of his hands abandoned her thighs to dive into her wet heat. He looked up at her once again; the vision of her with her head thrown back, her mouth half-open, gasping for air was, without a doubt, the most erotic sight he had ever witnessed.   
  
She swallowed hard as his fingers traced the contours of her opening, occasionally venturing closer to her entrance, teasing her. Her head lolled left to right as he continued to twirl his tongue around her clit, his finger painfully continuing its teasing.   
  
“Please, Spike, please…" She finally begged shamelessly.   
  
She didn’t have to ask twice as he thrust one long finger into her, causing her to arch her back off the mattress.   
  
“Oh, God!" She mewled as her grip on his hair grew stronger.   
  
“Shhhh… Buffy, they’ll hear." Spike warned her, stopping his ministrations, his finger still buried inside of her.   
  
“No, don’t stop. Please, don’t stop." She pleaded desperately.   
  
“Just be quiet." He whispered.   
  
“I’ll be quiet, I promise. I won’t-I’ll-" Her mumbling was cut short when his finger moved inside of her, searching and probing for just the right stop.   
  
His lips returned to her clit, pulling and pushing at it while his finger, having found its goal, moved in and out, stroking the small surface every time he drove into her. He watched under hooded eyes as she twisted under his ministrations, her face flushed, thrown to one side, biting hard into her pillow as she desperately tried to keep from screaming. It proved impossible when Spike suddenly trust a second finger into her, stretching her and causing the exquisite feeling which had been growing inside of her to explode and flood her entire body.   
  
Spike eyes went wide as her back arched off the mattress again while her inner walls clamped down around his fingers with brutal force. Instinctively, Spike quickly crawled over her body, but before he could cover her mouth a loud, almost inhuman scream pierced through the entire cabin.   
  
Buffy still hadn’t come down from her orgasm when the sound of shattering glass reached her ears.   
  
“They’re up." Spike announced.   
  
“What?" A very dazed Buffy asked as she watched the bleached teen jump off the bed to rummage through the pile of clothes on the floor.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He hissed giving up and simply shoving all the items under the bed before making a run for the door that lead to his room.   
  
~+~   
  
An instant later and Giles would have caught a glimpse of Spike leaping into his bed as he swung the door open and turned on the lights. Instead, he found his teenage son sitting up straight wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as the thick sheets covered his naked form.   
  
“What happened?" The older man asked as he adjusted his glasses and came to sit on the bed. “Are you alright?"   
  
“I-I’m fine. What was that?" Spike swallowed hard trying to mask his breathlessness as he lied through his teeth.   
  
“Buffy…" Giles realised as he headed for the connecting door.   
  
~+~   
  
The moment one door closed, the other swung open to reveal a female form wrapped in a robe. Joyce palmed the wall trying to find the light switch as she asked:   
  
“Buffy? Are you alright?"   
  
When she was successful, she turned to find a very flushed and breathless Buffy laying on the bed, clutching the covers to her body.   
  
“Did you have another nightmare?" The older woman asked coming to sit on the bed next to her daughter as the door to Spike’s room opened to let in Giles.   
  
“Is she ok?"   
  
“I-I" Buffy struggled with a reply. The stuttering grew worse when, a few moments later, Spike entered the room wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. She swallowed hard as she tried to ignore the cocky grin on the teen’s face and focus on what her mother was asking her.   
  
“What? Um… Yeah, I-I had another nightmare. I-It was nothing. I’m fine. Really." She insisted; her eyes never leaving Spike’s as she felt the delicious afterglow crawl its way through her entire body.   
  
“Are you sure you’re ok? I mean, you usually sleep so well. Did something happen?" Joyce questioned, oblivious to the looks exchanged between the two teens.   
  
“I’m fine mom. It’s probably just from sleeping in a strange bed. That’s all." She tried to justify.   
  
“Are you sure? I don’t-“   
  
“Mom! I’m fine." She assured her.   
  
“Maybe it was because of those horrible sounds earlier tonight." Giles offered.   
  
“Horrible sounds?" Buffy asked with a frown.   
  
“Yes, didn’t you hear it? There was all this banging and shrieking. God awful noise kept me up till two in the morning." Giles elaborated.   
  
“Oh! Those sounds!" Buffy felt her heart leap to her throat and the flush spread to her cheeks as she looked wide-eyed at Spike.   
  
“Probably racoons." The bleached teen offered calmly, but inside his heart skipped a beat. “Going through the garbage, is all."   
  
“Maybe." Giles agreed.   
  
“But you’re ok now, right?" Joyce insisted.   
  
Buffy simply nodded as she pushed her lips together. The older woman smiled, running her hand over her child’s face before turning to look at her wrist-watch.   
  
“Well, it’s seven am already. No sense going back to bed now, is there? Plus we have to go into town to buy the things we need for dinner tonight." She said a bit excitedly, standing up. “You better get up."   
  
Buffy pouted a bit and dropping her head she looked up at her mother:   
  
“Mom, do you mind if I skip the whole shopping thing? I kinda didn’t get much sleep last night either. On account of those… pesky racoons." She added, throwing Spike a dirty look at the last part of the sentence.   
  
“Ok. If you’re tired. But don’t stay in bed for too long." Joyce agreed.   
  
“Um… Da. Can I skip it too?" Spike ventured.   
  
“Wasn’t expecting you to come anyway." Giles replied with a half grin as he exited the room closely followed by Joyce, leaving the two teens alone in the room.   
  
The moment the door closed, Buffy was off the bed and had her arms wrapped around Spike’s neck as her mouth came crashing over his, almost causing him to lose his balance.   
  
“That was amazing!" Buffy muttered against his t-shirt when the kiss finally broke.   
  
“Yes, it was." He replied, still a bit shaken by the fact that he had naked-Buffy pressing against him.   
  
She was about to speak when she heard the sound of a door opening coming from the hall. In a flash, she was once again buried between her sheets.   
  
“Better wait till they leave." She whispered.   
  
~+~   
  
She held her ear up against the wood, nervously twirling her fingers around the edges of her sleeves as she strained to hear what was going on in the hall. She waited patiently for the pounding of footsteps to grow weaker and weaker before opening her door and popping her head into the hall. She sighed audibly when she heard the front door closing and ran for the window just in time to see Giles enter the car and close the door. The instant the engine roared, she was off towards the connecting door, swinging it open to crash into Spike.   
  
“Ouch!" They both called out in unison.   
  
“You ok?" Buffy asked. Spike wasn’t even able to finish his nod before Buffy was already on him. “Good!" she breathed between kisses as she pushed him towards the bed.   
  
Spike raised an eyebrow as his back hit the mattress. He found himself staring up at Buffy, who was still standing in front of him; a lust-filled look on her face.   
  
“Since when did you become such a sex-starved minx?" He questioned with a cocky grin plastered over his lips but it soon crumbled, being replaced by a gaping mouth the moment she lifted her nightgown over her head to reveal her completely naked form to him.   
  
Silently, she crawled over his body, placing one knee on either side of him, her chest pressing against his. Her mouth dropped to his earlobe, taking it in as she twirled her tongue around it. She smiled when she heard him gasped. God, she loved hearing him gasp like that!   
  
“Buffy…" He moaned when she bit into his flesh.   
  
She moved away from his ear, tracing hungry kisses along his jaw until she found his mouth and let her tongue invade it.   
  
“You." Kiss “Were." Peck “Amazing." She ended by letting her tongue linger over his lips for a few seconds.   
  
“So, I’ve been told." He grinned.   
  
Buffy froze and in his mind Spike kicked himself for what he had just said. ‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’ He screamed inwardly as he watched her sit up straight and give him a deadly glare.   
  
“Oh, really? And by whom, may I ask?"   
  
“No one." He answered immediately.   
  
Suddenly, she jumped off of him, picked up her nightgown and slammed the door on her way to her room.   
  
“Wha’?" He asked from his sprawled position on the bed.   
  
He had no reply.   
  
“Buffy, what’s wrong?" He questioned standing up and going after her.   
  
She gave him no answer, stomping her way around the room in her nightdress, looking under the bed, picking up his clothes and shoving them against his chest.   
  
“Out!" She spat.   
  
“What happened?" He pretended not know.   
  
“Nothing." She said between clenched teeth as she pulled and pushed at the sheets in a very angry attempt to make her bed. “So I’ve been told." She muttered under her breath, making it almost incomprehensible for him.   
  
“Oh, come on Buffy. I was joking."   
  
“No, you weren’t." She contoured, glaring at him.   
  
“Fine! So I wasn’t lying." He admitted. “Buffy, you gotta understand that I did *have* a life before we got together and it involved other girls."   
  
“So did *I*!" She retorted, letting go of the sheets for a second before going back to making the bed. “But I don’t go around throwing it in your face."   
  
“I wasn’t-“ He tried to defend himself but was quickly cut off.   
  
“Oh, yeah, right." She huffed. “You weren’t." She grumbled.   
  
“Come on, Buffy." The moment he took a step towards her she stood up straight and stared up at him.   
  
“I don’t go around gloating about all the things that Angel and I did together. And believe me, we did *a lot.*" She lied.   
  
Spike swallowed hard as he tried to control the anger that slowly started to build inside of him.   
  
“Actually, we did everything!" She revealed giving him a lascivious look.   
  
“Good for you." He managed to say between clenched teeth.   
  
“You bet it was." She immediately retorted. “It was amazing! I-It was *really* amazing!" She insisted, oblivious to the twitching of his facial muscles as she returned to her task and pulled at the covers again. “I mean, he’s the quarterback, those muscles really come in handy when you need-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence, feeling the wind being knocked out of her as she suddenly found herself laying on her back, on the bed with Spike hovering over her, between her legs. She was about to protest when she felt his hand quickly crawling its way under her nightgown until it found the small mound of curls at the apex of her thighs.   
  
She exhaled sharply, fighting to keep her eyes open when his fingers began to tease her still sensitive flesh. “Was it really that great?" He asked against her mouth.   
  
She parted her lips as she tried to reach up to kiss him but his free hand now held a strong grip on her golden locks, keeping her mouth just inches away from his.   
  
“Was it?" He repeated.   
  
She didn’t answer as she continued to struggle against his hold on her hair.   
  
“Was it…" He paused for a moment as his finger entered her wet opening and slowly massaged her inner walls.   
  
“Ah!" She cried out.   
  
“…this good?"   
  
He grinned against her skin when she began to vigorously shake her head in denial.   
  
He pumped in and out of her a couple more time before pulling completely out and pushing himself off of her. She was a bit taken by surprise at the sudden loss of exquisite contact.   
  
“Wha’?" She asked a bit dazed as she propped herself up on her shoulders   
  
“Just wanted to make sure." He grinned down on her as he headed back to his room.   
  
“Why you little…" She began as she ran after him.   
  
  
  
Chapter 34   
  
She entered the room just in time to see Spike exiting through the other door. Buffy trotted after him, a frown and a pout set on her face.   
  
“Where’re you going?" she tried to sound nonchalant about it, jogging down the stairs and stopping to lean on the railing as she watched him head toward the kitchenette.   
  
“Breakfast. I’m hungry." He answered, opening the refrigerator door.   
  
She didn’t say anything, taking the last step of the staircase and wandering into the living room. Plopping down on the couch, she pretended not to notice the metallic noises coming from the tiled room as she brought her hand to her mouth to lightly nibble at her cuticles. After a few moments, a delicious aroma of fried eggs reached her nose and she wasn’t able to resist throwing a glance in Spike’s direction. She found him standing in front of the stove, his t-shirt-clad back turned to her.   
  
“What are you doing?" She finally gave up and asked, standing to walk over to the counter and take a seat on one of the stools there.   
  
“Breakfast." He replied, stepping aside to reveal a simple omelette on a clean plate. “Want some?"   
  
Her mouth watered at the sight and smell of it, but her pride stopped her from showing any signs of it. Her mind dwelled over how, just a minute ago, he had broken away from her, leaving her alone in her room. Her pout returned to her lower lip at the recent memory.   
  
“No, thank you. I’m not hungry." She answered, defiantly titling her chin upwards and wrinkling her nose.   
  
“Suit yourself." He shrugged and walked into the living room to sprawl on the couch.   
  
They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity as Spike munched on his break fast, apparently completely oblivious to the little, pissed blonde loudly tapping her nails on the counter. Suddenly, she stood up and announced:   
  
“I’m gonna take a shower."   
  
Spike smirked to himself as he watched her angrily stomp her way up the stairs.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy walked around in circles in her bedroom, her wet hair tumbling down her back as her fingers fidgeted with the sleeves of her read turtleneck sweater.   
  
She resisted the urge to enter his room and check if he was still there. She was sure she had heard a door opening when she had finished her shower and was combing her hair in front of the foggy mirror. Her heart had raced in her chest as she made her way to her bedroom, confident that she would find him there, maybe laying naked in her bed, ready to beg her forgiveness. She turned the knob as a thousand fantasies ran through her mind. They were all shattered when she found the room empty.  
  
A strange mixture of anger and disappointment made her chest heavy and caused her throat to tighten a bit. She hated this horrible feeling of insecurity she had around him. She never knew what to expect from him. He was so volatile; so sweet and desperate one moment, so smug and cocky the next.   
  
She let out a deep sigh and headed out of her room. Letting her feet drag along the steps, she made her way downstairs. She felt her breath catching in her chest and she brought her hand to cover her mouth when she saw an incredible breakfast set on the table. There was a larger platter, where five or six scoops of a variety of jelly and jams were placed in a circular shape. Next to it was a small mound of pancakes topped with what looked like maple-syrup. Her finger lingered over her lips as she scanned the table to find a bowl, filled with an assortment of different fruits, which hid itself behind a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Finally, placed in the centre of a white plate was a single red rose.   
  
“Oh, my God." She breathed.   
  
“I was wondering when you were gonna come down."   
  
She jumped up, a bit startled by the voice that came from behind her. She turned to see him leaning on the railing of the staircase, his arms crossed over his chest, the trademark grin dancing on his lips. He had put on his red shirt over the t-shirt, the worn-out black jeans and combat boots completing the outfit.   
  
“Hungry yet?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.   
  
“Oh, my God." She mouthed again, her gaze bouncing from Spike to the table and back again.   
  
“You’ve said that already." His smile grew wider.   
  
“Thanks."   
  
“For what?" He raised a scarred eyebrow.   
  
“Well…" She tilted her head towards the table.   
  
“Oh, that’s not for you." He said coolly.   
  
An immediate frown settled over Buffy’s eyebrows as her mouth fell open but, before she could say anything, he had his arms wrapped around her waist and his lips were on hers. She didn’t even bother to struggled, letting his tongue sweep over hers while his hand came to cup her cheek. When he pulled away from her, a breathless Buffy swatted him across the chest, causing him to jump up.   
  
“Ouch! What was that for?" He asked between chuckles.   
  
“Evil." She spat and immediately pouted.   
  
“Very." He agreed with a lascivious grin before giving her a light peck on the lips and turning her around to face the table. “Now eat! You’re too skinny." He commanded, pulling out the chair for her.   
  
“Hey!" Was her feeble protest as her eyes landed on the feast laid out before her. She was starving, but was still able to pick up the rose and take a quick whiff before setting it aside and taking her fork and knife into her hands. “Where did you get that rose from?"   
  
“You haven’t been out back, have you?" Spike’s lips curled sideways as he watched shake her head while hungrily shovelling a large piece of pancake into her mouth.   
  
“There’s a small rose bush there. Not in very good shape though, since we’re not here to water it or anything, but amazingly it has survived."   
  
A moment of silence passed by as Spike continued to stare at her with a grin on his face.   
  
“Wha’?" The word came out almost unintelligible, muffled by the large quantity of food filling her mouth.   
  
“Nothing." He replied propping his head on his hand and eyeing her.   
  
She chewed quickly, swallowing the large lump before asking guiltily:   
  
“I look like a pig, don’t I?"   
  
“No." He answered truthfully as she continued to eat.   
  
“This tastes wonderful." She managed to say between bites. “Where did you learn to make these?" She questioned pointing at the pancakes with her fork.   
  
“My da taught me." He answered still gazing blindly at her.   
  
“They’re delicious."   
  
She quickly devoured the three pancakes, using up all the jams in front of her. In the end, she downed the rest of the orange juice, settling back on the chair and tapping her stomach.   
  
“Satisfied?" The simple question came out dripping with innuendo.   
  
“Maybe." She let her lips curl for a wicked smile that made his mouth water.   
  
He grinned back at her, but said nothing as he began to pick up the table and headed for the kitchenette. She quickly followed him, watching him as he stopped at the sink and pulled up his sleeves before starting to wash the dishes.   
  
“So…" He started, his eyes never leaving the soapy water in front of him. “Are we… ok?"   
  
“We’re ok." She answered as she sat on the stool.   
  
“Good." He said in a low voice.   
  
Another moment of silence filtered by before he questioned again:   
  
“I’m sorry. I have a tendency of getting my foot in my mouth."   
  
“I’ve noticed." She smiled picking at a grape and popping it into her mouth.   
  
“How can you still eat?" He asked astonished. “You just ate three huge pancakes and now you’re eating fruit?"   
  
She pouted and he felt his heart leap to his throat. God, he loved it when her lip jutted out like that! Just made him want to… He shook his head and returned to his task, but it proved near impossible when he felt her small hands worm around his waist and her chest press against his back as she placed a light peck over his red-clad shoulder blade. He inhaled sharply when she pulled away, stepping up next to him to pick up a nearby towel and began drying the dishes.   
  
“So…" She started a bit hesitant, her heart skipping a beat when he turned to look at her. “Have you been told a lot of times?"   
  
He frowned and glanced at her again to find her with her gaze buried in the plate she was drying.   
  
“Been told what, luv?"   
  
“About… you know… being good at…" She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes to find him semi-grinning back at her. “Oh, come on. You’re not gonna make me say it, are you?"   
  
He sighed audibly. He knew eventually they would have to have the inevitable “exes conversation".   
  
“A few times." He tried to avoid the specific numbers but wasn’t able when she quickly piped up:   
  
“How many?"   
  
“Buffy…"   
  
“What?" She asked innocently.   
  
“Do you really wanna get into that?"   
  
“It’s just a question, Spike." She noted.   
  
“Two." He answered.   
  
A light smile settled on her lips as relief washed over her.   
  
“Just Dru?"   
  
He frowned for a second, then, realising her assumption, he corrected.   
  
“Three, counting you."   
  
“Oh…" The disappointment clear in her voice.   
  
There was a moment of silence and he could hear the unasked question hovering all around him, shouting in his ear. Finally, he sighed and murmured:   
  
“There was a girl back home." He paused and added. “Cecile."   
  
She didn’t say a thing, her eyes still on the towel she fumbled with as she waited for him to pass her something to dry.   
  
“What about you?" He questioned, anxious to take the attention off of him.   
  
“Angel… and you." She replied with her head bowed.   
  
Instinctively, Spike’s teeth clenched and unclenched at the answer.   
  
There was an extremely uncomfortable silence between them, until Buffy flung the towel over her shoulder and sighed:   
  
“This is ridiculous. So we both had someone in the past. One of us more that the other but…It’s ridiculous." She said nonchalantly.   
  
“Are you sure?"   
  
“I’m fine." She insisted, but inside she could feel her stomach turning at the thought of him with someone else.   
  
“It doesn’t really matter how many there were before as long as you know that all I want now is you." He quickly dried his hands on his shirt and stepped closer to her. “You do know that, right?"   
  
She nodded and gave him a smile as he leaned in and took her lower lip into his mouth. His hands circled around her waist to meet at the small of her back and bring her closer to him. They pulled away instantly at the sound of a metallic key turning in a lock.   
  
“Buffy!" She heard her mother call out.   
  
“Over here." She shouted giving Spike’s pout an ‘I’m sorry’ look before throwing the towel over the dried dishes and walking around him to meet her mother. “Mom, what did you do? Buy all the food in the supermarket?" She questioned when she saw her mother standing at the door with four plastic bags dangling from each hand.   
  
“Could you two please go help Rupert out?" She asked walking into the kitchenette.   
  
The two teens walked out to find Giles standing by the car, the trunk open to reveal itself completely stuffed with shopping bags.   
  
“Is she ok? I told her not to take so many." He said a bit worried.   
  
“She’s fine." Buffy smiled as she scanned the groceries.   
  
~+~   
  
“When do you think we should tell them?" Spike asked as he sat on the table with Buffy watching the older couple clumsily walk around in the small kitchenette as they prepared the Christmas Eve supper.   
  
“Tell them?" She asked sitting up straight.   
  
“About us?" Spike tilted his head towards her.   
  
“Oh…" She said with a perfectly ‘O’ shaped mouth as leaned on the table; her fingers tracing odd patterns on the wood. “Could we sort of wait for the end of the festivities?"   
  
“Why?" Spike questioned with a frown.   
  
“I don’t know. Might be kinda traumatic for your dad to find out you’re not gay." She giggled when she saw the outraged look on his face. Trying hard not to laugh she swallowed and continued, letting her hand discreetly rest on his: “I’m sorry." She pushed her lips together in a frustrated attempt to stop from smiling: “I just think it would be kinda weird for you to… go back into the closet on Christmas Eve."   
  
“Weird? It would be a relief. I’m getting really tired of all this gay-talk. I am not gay." He insisted between clenched teeth, careful not to be heard by the couple still busy in the kitchen. “I think I proved that last night." He added, leaning into her and running his tongue over his lips suggestively.   
  
“Conceited much?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him.   
  
“Will you two stop yapping and come help us?" Joyce’s voice carried into the living room as she stirred a large pot on the stove.   
  
The two teens sighed, standing up to walk over to the counter.   
  
“I don’t think the four of us fit in there." Spike noted with a hint of satisfaction.   
  
“You can wipe that grin off your face and start cutting the garlic." Giles announced with a forced smile and he set a chopping board and a knife on the counter with a thud.   
  
“Oh, da. I hate garlic." Spike sulked out.   
  
“Poor, Spikey." Buffy mocked with a smirk.   
  
“And you, young lady, can chop the onions." Joyce commanded handing her a knife and a basin filled with onions.   
  
“Mom!" Buffy protested.   
  
“Finely chopped." Her mother interrupted as she turned her attention back to the stove.   
  
“Don’t you dare say a thing." The blonde teen said with a threatening tone, waving the knife at Spike as he tried to suppress a chuckle.   
  
~+~   
  
The four moved awkwardly in the small space, tripping over each other as they tried to get their respective tasks done.   
  
“Can you three just stand still for a second?" Joyce finally snapped, sighing audibly. “I knew that making this dinner together was a mistake."   
  
“What? We’re helping. It’s not our fault that the kitchen is miniscule." Buffy pouted as she tried to squeeze between her mother and Spike to reach the condensed milk on the other side of the room.   
  
The bleached teen’s eyes rolled back in their sockets as he felt her chest press against his back. God, she had to be doing that on purpose! In the one hour they had been in the confined space she had brushed up against him at least five times and it was becoming almost impossible to keep his hands away from her. All he thought about was grabbing her and kissing her breath away right then and there, in front of both their parents. Appearances be damned! He sighed and eyed his father and Joyce as he quickly adjusted himself through his jeans before returning to beating the egg whites.   
  
“When I bought this cabin I wasn’t exactly planning on having big dinner parties." Giles excused himself as he finally managed to exit the kitchenette. “I’ll go get some more firewood from the basement." He announced before leaving.   
  
“Are these ok, Joyce?" Spike inquired swallowing hard as Buffy brushed up against him once again on her way back. ‘Little tease! Just wait until tonight.’   
  
The older woman threw a glance at the bowl Spike held in his hands and nodded:   
  
“That’s great, Spike. Just put those over there." She pointed at the nearest available surface.   
  
The teen brushed his hands against his shirt and asked:   
  
“Anything else I can do?"   
  
“Could you set the table?"   
  
“Sure." He agreed as he picked up the towel and headed for the living room.   
  
An hour later a warm fire burned in the fireplace as the four finally sat around the table devouring the mountain of food that spread out in front of them.   
  
“This is delicious, honey." Giles froze as the last word left his mouth. He looked around, expecting to find disgusted looks on both teenagers’ faces and was surprised when there was absolutely no reaction from either. He frowned a bit at the oddity. Maybe they were coping with the idea of there parents being an item. He continued to observe as the two shovelled absurd quantities of food into their mouths. ‘Or maybe they’re just too hungry to hear anything.’   
  
“Thank you." Joyce replied with a smile as she followed Rupert’s gaze and watched the teens barely inhale between bites.   
  
“So… when do we open the presents?" Giles tried to start up a conversation.   
  
“Buffy and I usually open them on Christmas morning. It’s tradition." Joyce replied when she realised her daughter was too busy eating to answer.   
  
“Christmas morning it is."   
  
“Hey, don’t I get a say?" Spike protested looking up from his plate for the first time since he had sat down. “We always do it at midnight."   
  
Giles frowned and gave his son a disapproving look.   
  
“What?" Spike asked, completely oblivious to his father’s deadly stares.   
  
Giles simply shook his head and sighed.   
  
“Fine. We’ll open them on Christmas morning." Spike resigned to the idea returning his attention to his plate.   
  
~+~   
  
The rest of the night went on uneventfully as the four moved from the table to sit on the couch near the warmth of the fireplace. Initially, there had been some discomfort and lack of subject but, little by little the conversation started up and soon the four were shouting at the top of their lunges as they discussed which cuisine was best, the American or the English.   
  
“I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss out of it. The point is that the Americans simply don’t *have* gastronomic traditions." Giles argued as he lay back on the couch, one leg crossed over the other as he sipped from his brandy.   
  
“Of course we have gastronomic traditions." Buffy said confidently then looked up at her mother to quickly ask: “Right?"   
  
“Yes." Her mother replied with a smile, running her hand through her daughter’s hair who sat on the floor at her feet. “What about apple pie?"   
  
“It’s not even American. Or do you really think that the rest of the world didn’t have apple pie until you Yankees thought of it?" Giles countered.   
  
“Yeah." Spike spoke up from his stop on the carpet, laying on his back, propped up on his elbows. “All you have are burgers and even those are a bloody German rip-off."   
  
“What about that ‘angis’ thing?" Buffy’s nose wrinkled up as her facial muscles contracted in disgust. “You guys eat entrails stuck in a sheep’s stomach! Yuck!"   
  
“It’s haggis! And that’s Scottish, luv!" Spike corrected with a chuckle which earned him a swat across the arm from the petite blonde. “Hey!"   
  
“I don’t care what you say; hotdogs are ten times better that fish and chips wrapped in an old newspaper." Buffy retorted crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“Don’t knock it till you try it, pet." Spike said in a mocking tone.   
  
“Well, whatever your preferences are, I think its time for bed." Mrs. Summers said as she yawned.   
  
“Smooth, mom, very smooth." Buffy chuckled turning to face Joyce.   
  
“It’s four am." Her mother replied. “Come on. Up you go."   
  
Reluctantly, Spike and Buffy stood up and, after saying there goodbyes headed up the stairs. The moment they reached the top and were well out of sight Buffy found herself pinned against the nearest wall, Spike’s body crushed against hers. She let out a little yelp which was quickly muffled when his mouth smashed against hers for a bruising and ravenous kiss. Her eyes went wide as his hands moved erratically over every inch of her, one pushing under her sweater to knead her breast while the other slipped around her to gruffly cup her ass and force her pelvis against his.   
  
Buffy gasped, looking up breathless at him when he pulled away from her.   
  
“What was that for?" She asked when she was finally able.   
  
“What did you think? That I would let you tease and taunt me like that all afternoon and there wouldn’t be any consequences?" He leered dangerously at her, both his hands resting on the wall, on either side of her.   
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about." She didn’t even try to sound convincing as she smirked at him.   
  
“You little vixen! You’ve were purposely brushing up against me every time you had a chance."   
  
“What can I say? I just love that face you make." She mocked.   
  
“What face?"   
  
“You know. That…" She rolled her eyes a bit before closing them hard, clenching and unclenching her teeth as she held her breath in a successful attempt to imitate his reaction before relaxing her muscles and adding: “…face."   
  
“I do not." He denied vehemently.   
  
“Of course you do. You were doing it in the car all the way over here." She threw him a teasing look before pushing herself off the wall and walking over to her room.   
  
“You were doing it on purpose?!" He asked outraged as her went after her blocking her passage.   
  
“I know…" She took a step towards him and ran one single finger down his chest. “… I was really a bad girl." She said in a semi-childish tone.   
  
“Really, really bad girl." He repeated with a grin.   
  
“And now I have to be punished." She continued looking up at him from under heavy eyelids, a wicked smile on her lips.   
  
“Yes you do." He agreed closing the distance between them and leaning into her.   
  
“So, what’s it going to be?" She breathed as his closeness started to interfere with her ability to speak.   
  
“You get to sleep…" He began in a low voice, but suddenly stepped away from her and added: “…alone. Goodnight, Buffy."   
  
Before she could say anything he had walked past her, made his way to his bedroom door and disappeared from the hallway.   
  
Chapter 35 He flipped the covers and let his feet slip to the cold floor as his gaze drifted towards the connecting door. ‘What’s taking her so long?’ He wondered running his fingers through his ruffled locks. Two hours had passed since his slick move out in the hall. Was she actually taking it seriously?   
  
~+~   
  
She hugged her legs, bringing them closer to her chest and rested her chin on her knees as she sat on the bed staring at the door. ‘I’m not moving, not moving, not moving.’ She repeated the mantra in her mind as she slightly rocked back and forth. She wasn’t about to give in. ‘Nope. Not giving in.’   
  
~+~   
  
He sighed audibly before pushing himself off the bed and shuffling his way out of the room and into the hall.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy jumped to attention at the metallic sound of a lock snapping open and frowned when she looked back at the connecting door and found it still closed. In a flash, she was up, hissing when her bare feet came into contact with the freezing floor. She hopped her way to her corridor door resting her ear on the wooden surface, straining to hear. ‘Where’s he going in the middle of the night?’ She questioned silently. The muffled sound of rushing water being flushed gave her the answer.   
  
~+~   
  
He pressed his fingers over the bridge of his nose as he walked out of the bathroom, stopping in the middle of the hall to look at the door that lead… to her. He struggled with the option as his gaze drifted from one door to the next. Eventually, he opted for his own room. Dragging his feet towards his bed he grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, slipping in between the thick covers and turning on his side in a meek attempt to find sleep.   
  
His eyes drifted shut as he tried to erase the images floating about in his mind. God, she could find a way to creep into his thoughts at anytime of the day, or night! He flung his arm over his head as if trying to protect himself from the myriad of pictures that flashed behind his closed lids.   
  
He froze, his eye snapping open, when he felt the covers move from behind him and soon a soft, petite shape spooned up against his back. Her perfume suddenly registered in his nostrils as a small arm curled around his waist to rest on his stomach.   
  
He wanted to say something witty and smug but the feel of her body pressed tightly against him, the way she nuzzled her face between his shoulder blades, inhaling his scent, caused his brain to short-circuit. As her small hand glided under his shirt to caress his bare stomach and make its way up and down his chest, her mouth trailed long kisses up his back until she reached the crook of his neck.   
  
He held his breath, his eyelids suddenly feeling extremely heavy when he felt her tongue sluggishly trace the contours of his ear.   
  
“What…" He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut as her hand drifted lower on his abdomen. “…are you doing?"   
  
“What does it feel like?"   
  
She heard him gasp when her fingers slipped under the waistband of his shorts.   
  
“Buffy, I-“ He stopped in mid-sentence when her small hand encircled him.   
  
“I didn’t really feel like sleeping alone tonight." She whispered as she nibbled on his earlobe. “Do you mind?"   
  
It took a while for her question to register as her fingers began to move up and down his cock but, eventually, he was able to meekly shake his head.   
  
“Didn’t think so." She mumbled, pressing up against him.   
  
She let out a small shriek when she suddenly found herself laying on her back, his hard body draped over hers, effectively trapping her as his hands pinned her wrists against the mattress over her head.   
  
“What took you so long?" He asked hoarsely.   
  
Trying hard to ignore the fact that she was actually naked under him, he dove for her neck, causing her to bite back a moan as his tongue assaulted the sensitive skin there.   
  
“I thought you didn’t feel like having company tonight." She managed to breathe as he moved between her legs and thrust his pelvis against hers.   
  
“Changed my mind." He whispered reaching her earlobe while his hand abandoned one of her wrists to glide down her side and massage her thigh.   
  
“So… that mean I’m forgiven?" she questioned running her fingers through his thick hair as she arched her neck into against his mouth.   
  
Suddenly, he pulled away to stared down at her.   
  
“I’m not sure yet. You were a very, very naughty girl." He mocked as he rolled off of her.   
  
“Oh, come on!" She pouted, wrapping the sheets around her and laying on her side to look at him.   
  
“You should have thought about the consequences, pet." He continued to tease her. The smug grin on his face made her blood start to boil and she quickly sat up straight and swung her legs out of the bed.   
  
“Fine. Goodnight then." She grumbled. She was about to jump off the mattress when his arm wormed around her waist and pulled her into bed.   
  
She giggled as her body collapsed between the fluffy sheets and she found him hovering over her once more.   
  
“Close your eyes." He asked.   
  
She frowned, but did as she was told. She felt the weight shift on the bed as he moved and after a few seconds, he was back.   
  
“Open them."   
  
When she did she saw him sitting up straight, handing her a small box.   
  
“What’s this?" She questioned propping herself up on one elbow as she reached for it.   
  
“Merry Christmas!"   
  
Her hand quickly covered her mouth as she shrieked:   
  
“Oh, my God! I didn’t get you anything. I mean, there was the whole hating you thing and I didn’t think there would be any gift exchange. I’m sorry. I didn’t think that-“   
  
“Buffy?" He cut her off. “Relax. Just open it."   
  
“But I didn’t get you anything." She pouted again.   
  
“Just open the bloody thing." He said with a smile, anxious to see her reaction.   
  
She sighed and began unwrapping the present. Her eyes went wide when she opened the box to find a small chain inside. In regular intervals the metal twisted to form the outlining of petals at the centre of which there was a small amber stone. The end result was a thin, silvery string with six or seven individual flowers.   
  
“It’s beautiful." She whispered staring at the necklace.   
  
“Turn around and let me put it on." He urged her.   
  
With a huge smile on her face she handed the necklace back to him as she sat up and turned her back to him. She fingered the delicate string as he struggled with the lock.   
  
“There."   
  
Slowly she turned around to face him.   
  
“What do you think?" She asked.   
  
“It’s gorgeous." He breathed, staring as her finger lingered on the chain.   
  
“Thank you so much." She repeated leaning in and giving him a soft peck on the lips.   
  
“You’re welcome." He smiled back as the two lay back on the bed.   
  
“Why’d you buy this if we were broken up?" She questioned, turning in his arms to face him after a moment of silence.   
  
“I knew I’d win you back." He answered smugly, earning a feeble swat across the chest from her. “I’m just kidding." He chuckled when he saw lower lip jut out. “Truth is I bought it before we broke up."   
  
“Oh…" She said as she snuggled against his chest, but frowned when realisation came. “Wait a second. We fought on homecoming."   
  
“Yeah, so."   
  
“That was like a month and a half ago." She stated.   
  
Spike stared blankly at her and repeated: “So?"   
  
“So, you bought me a Christmas present a mouth in advance?" She questioned.   
  
“Yeah." He replied with a shrug.   
  
She propped herself up on one elbow looking wide eyed at him.   
  
“Did I do something wrong? Cause I really don’t see what I did." He asked nervously.   
  
He felt his body relax when a smile crept over her lips.   
  
“You are the sweetest boyfriend ever." She said.   
  
He felt his heart skip a beat at the use of the word ‘boyfriend’, but he masked his surprise with a smug grin and muttered:   
  
“So it’s official, huh?" At her frown, he added: “You, me. Boyfriend, girlfriend?"   
  
She swallowed hard as she became aware of her Freudian slip.   
  
“I-I don’t know. Maybe." She stuttered, anxiously waiting for his reaction.   
  
His smirk crumbled in an instant as he lifted his hand to trace the outline of her face.   
  
“Maybe?" He repeated hoarsely.   
  
Hearing the nervousness in his voice seemed to have a calming effect on her.   
  
“Definitely maybe." And, without warning, her mouth was on his.   
  
At first, he was taken by surprise, but soon he was responding with as much fervour as she. He rolled over her and the kiss became deeper and more hectic as the desire between them grew. They moved erratically, both struggling for dominance, pulling, biting and nibbling at each other’s lips. In the middle of the ongoing battle, she hooked her thumbs on the waistband of his shorts, pulling them downwards until they were wrapped around his knees. As her hands travelled upward and proceeded with tugging at his t-shirt, her feet pushed the rest of the boxers down, until they were discarded somewhere between the mountain on sheets they lay in. She gave him a satisfied smile when she was finally able to get his t-shit off and his naked body came into contact with hers. They stared at each other for a few seconds and then, suddenly, Spike felt the wind get knocked out of him when, with one swift move of her hips, she managed to roll them over. He quickly found himself on his back, her golden body hovering over his, her legs spread to accommodate his hips, her mouth attacking his chest.   
  
He gasped at the desperation and desire that marked her every move. He closed his eyes and arched into her touch as her tongue glided from one hardened nipple to the other. He was so caught up in the feel of her mouth that he didn’t even notice her hand worming its way down his body to reach for his cock.   
  
His eyes snapped open and he stared down at her as her small fingers wrapped around him and slowly started moving up and down. His hand reached for her head, interlacing with her blonde strings and forcing her to abandon his chest and look up at him. The moment she did, he attacked her lips, seemingly trying to devour her. She continued to pump him and he let out a strangled moan into her mouth; his grip on her hair becoming stronger as he instinctively thrust his hips against her hand.   
  
Slowly, in the middle of the haze of his mind, he felt something soft and slippery sweep across the tip of his cock.   
  
“Fuck!" He breathed when he realised what it was.   
  
He abandoned her mouth and opened his eyes to see her manoeuvre her hips over his, her damp warmth brushing against his swollen shaft, inviting him inside. He gasped when she dipped her pelvis and he felt his cock push between her folds. In a fleeting moment of clarity, his hands grabbed her hips, keeping them at bay as he tried to speak:   
  
“Wait… the condom…" He couldn’t believe he was actually stopping her.   
  
“No need for one." She breathed as she pushed downwards but he held her fast.   
  
“Wh-what do you-“ He swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut as she continued to move, brushing up against him. “What do you mean?" He finally asked.   
  
“I mean there is no need." And she leaned down to kiss him, her fingers finding his and pulling at them.   
  
“Buffy… we can’t… cond-“ He babbled.   
  
“Shhhhh. Trust me." She coaxed him, finally able to free herself.   
  
“But what abou- Oh, Fuck!" He gasped when she suddenly sat up straight and let her weight fall. His eyes snapped open as he found himself buried inside of her. “Christ, Buffy you’re so…"   
  
He wasn’t able to put it into words. The softness of her inner walls clamping around him, the heat, the tightness, he felt like he would come at that very minute if she dared to move.   
  
Buffy held her breath as she truly felt him inside of her for the first time. No condom, no barrier, nothing between them and it felt amazing. She remained frozen for a second, adjusting to his size as she watched his face contort in pleasure and then she began to move. Slowly, resting her hands over his chest for leverage, she slid up and he moaned, his hands immediately grabbing her hips, forcing her to stop.   
  
“Wait, wait." He begged, closing his eyes for a moment as he searched for control.   
  
“You ok?" She asked between pants.   
  
He simply nodded and released her from his grip. A second later she moved again and he clenched his teeth trying to ignore the feel of sliding in and out of her, but it all seemed to crumble when he opened his eyes to see her. She soared over him; her breasts exposed, bathed in moonlight, the small necklace lingering around her neck as her head lolled back, her hair cascading down her sides to frame her body.   
  
“God, Buffy, you’re beautiful." He hissed as he felt her growing tighter and tighter around him.   
  
Her hands reached for his, finding them resting over her hips and guided them upwards to cup her breasts.   
  
“Wait, no…" He mewled as everything seemed to be too much for him. But her response was completely opposite to what he had asked. She increased the pace, contracting her inner muscles, causing them to clamp around him. “Buffy, please wait… I’m not… Oh God!" he stopped in mid sentence as she twisted her hips and let out a soft moan. “Don’t… please, stop!" He pleaded urgently. “God, Buffy… I-I’m gonna come if you don’t…"   
  
Her hands tightened around his, forcing him to grab her breasts harder and that was it, the last shred of control was lost and he found himself thrashing under her as he came. His back arched slightly off the bed as the waves of pleasure slammed against him causing his eyes to lose focus for a few moments. Seconds later he lay dully on the bed, a peaceful numbness coursing through every inch of his body as everything seemed too heavy to bare, even his own eyelids.   
  
When he finally opened his eyes he gazed at her laying on top of him, her head resting on his shoulder as a single drop of sweat traced down her cheek.   
  
“God, that was…" He started but it was still too soon for words.   
  
“Merry Christmas." She said, giddily sitting up straight.   
  
“That was one hell of a present, luv." He mumbled, pausing for a second to contemplate her.   
  
“You’re welcome." She smiled down on him.   
  
Slowly, a sinking feeling crawled its way into his chest.   
  
“Did you…" He tried to hint. “Was it… um… good for you?" God, he couldn’t believe he had just asked her that! It sounded so… bloody stupid.   
  
“It was." She continued to smile, but he could tell she wasn’t being completely honest.   
  
“It didn’t seem like it was." He grumbled.   
  
“It was nice." She insisted.   
  
“Great! In two seconds we’ve gone from good to nice. That’s an improvement!" He mumbled sarcastically.   
  
“It was very nice." She smirked, leaning down to kiss him, but before she had a chance to he met her half way and forced her to sit up straight.   
  
“I guess we’ll just have to remedy that now, won’t we?" He said smugly.   
  
“Really?" She replied cocking up an eyebrow.   
  
He simply nodded and leaned in to capture her lower lip into his mouth, his arms wrapping around her small waist.   
  
She mewled into his mouth as she felt him harden inside of her. After a few seconds his hands gripped her hips, guiding them upwards and then back down, causing him to slide in and out of her. Trading soft and long kisses, they sat on the bed, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as they moved in unison at a slow, torturous rhythm, building up the pressure with each stroke. Spike’s fingers abandoned her hips to glide over her back, reaching her head and slipping between the long, golden strings of her hair. He tugged lightly at them, forcing her to arch her neck and expose her throat to his mouth. She gasped as the combined sensation of his tongue sweeping across her skin and the feel of him slipping in and out of her became too overwhelming.   
  
His mouth moved in a dawdling pace, tracing a secret pattern from her neck down to her left nipple. His tongue sluggishly drew circles around it, occasionally stopping to suck it into his mouth or nibble at it.   
  
“Ah, Spike…" Buffy moaned; her nails digging into the back of his neck as his teeth scrapped across the sensitive flesh.   
  
She felt completely overwhelmed as the feeling inside of her built up. She had never experienced anything like this. All the other times had been so frenzied, so hurried, the desire between them too strong to be able to control, hold back or take the time to make it last. Her eyes went wide when one of his hands wormed between their bodies, finding its way to her clit.   
  
“Oh, God!" She mewled as the rough texture of his thumb brushed against the small bundle of nerves.   
  
Suddenly, every single feeling in her body seemed to be sharpened as her senses concentrated on the spot where their bodies came together. Unconsciously, she bit her lower lip, the sensation inside of her building to heights she had never thought possible.   
  
“Oh, God Spike, I’m gonna-" She managed to breathe between harsh pants.   
  
He smiled. He loved the way she always announced her impending orgasms. Suddenly, he thrust hard upwards, burying himself inside of her to the hilt with one long, rough stroke and everything seemed to crumble around her. Her mouth went wide as the energy that had been growing inside of her flooded her entire body, every single inch of her vibrating with the force of her orgasm. Spike felt she was about to scream and pulled her down for one ravenous kiss, swallowing her cry as his tongue invaded her mouth.   
  
She wrapped her arms around him, shaking as she continued to ride out her pleasure. Her inner muscles contracted wildly around him, causing him to quickly follow her over the precipice.   
  
After a few moments they sat spent, in a bundle of limb, gasping for breath, leaning on each other for support as their bodies became completely limp. It took a long while for them to be able to speak, but eventually Buffy seemed to mumble something.   
  
“What’s that, luv?" He asked.   
  
“Cold." The word tumbled out of her lips.   
  
He smiled and lay back on the bed, bringing her down with him and wrapping the sheets around them.   
  
~+~   
  
The sound of a door being slammed closed snapped him out of his daze. Spike grumbled under his breath as his gaze fell on the sleeping form spooned against his side. Her head rested on his outstretched arm, her leg was flung over his stomach. He smiled as he realised just how perfectly they fit together. His eyes drifted toward the alarm clock on the nightstand. The red lights read: “7:30".   
  
“Oh, bloody hell." He cursed when he realised they had dosed off. “Luv?"   
  
The small creature lying next to him stirred, but refused to wake up.   
  
“Luv, you need to wake up. My da’s up."   
  
“Mhm…" She mumbled.   
  
“Buffy, you gotta wake up." He insisted, running his fingers through her hair.   
  
“Wha’?" She finally asked, her eyes still closed.   
  
“It’s seven thirty, my da’s gonna come in here any second."   
  
“It’s too early." She protested, snuggling closer to him.   
  
“Buffy…" He continued to call, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “Wake up."   
  
“Just five more minutes." She tried to bargain, but he would have none of that.   
  
“Wake up." He shook her slightly and she finally opened her eyes.   
  
“You’re evil." She grumbled pouting.   
  
“I know, but you gotta get up."   
  
Reluctantly, she rolled onto her back, her arms outstretching over her head as she yawned audibly. Slowly, she managed to sit up. She turned to see him lying on the bed and leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his lips. Her fingers reached for the chain around her neck as she whispered:   
  
“Thanks for the present."   
  
“No, thank you." He replied, watching her as she prepared to get out of bed. “Wait, Buffy." He stopped her as he suddenly realised something. “About last night…"   
  
“Yeah?" She frowned a bit.   
  
“You know… the condom. Are you sure everything’s… um… safe?" He wondered a bit embarrassed.   
  
“Absolutely. I’ve been on the pill for almost a year now." She reassured him.   
  
“Huh?"   
  
“Since Angel." She explained.   
  
He simply nodded, his stomach turning in disgust at the thought of *him* touching her. She was about to leave when his next question stopped her again.   
  
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"   
  
“Well, the first time we… It was kind of unexpected and I didn’t really know if you had… you know…" She trailed off, hopping she didn’t have to elaborate, but his frown forced her to continue: “Condoms don’t just protect you from unwanted baby making."   
  
Slowly, realisation sunk it.   
  
“You thought I had some sort of STD?" He asked a bit outraged.   
  
“No!" She immediately answered. “I mean, I didn’t know. How could I? You had been sleeping with Dru and, apparently, Dru isn’t too enthusiastic about the whole monogamous part that comes with a relationships-“   
  
“Neither was Angel as I recall." He retorted.   
  
“Are we gonna fight about this?" she sighed. “It was just once and I didn’t know you all that well."   
  
“What about yesterday?"   
  
“I tried to tell you, remember? You weren’t really paying much attention." She replied.   
  
There was a moment of pause as he pondered what to do.   
  
“When you make up your mind, let me know." She muttered getting off the bed.   
  
Suddenly, one strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling at her and causing her to tumble onto the bed. She gasped as she looked up to find Spike hovering over her.   
  
“You’re forgiven." He smiled down on her.   
  
“Am I, now?"   
  
“But only because of the incredible Christmas present." He added before leaning down to kiss her.   
  
  
  
Chapter 36   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the wonderful Ali for betaing this so quickly! You're the best BETA mom!   
  
He let his head fall to the crook of her neck, lightly nibbling his way down to her collarbone when the sound of footsteps just outside, in the hall, snapped the two teens back to reality. Panic filled them as they heard the doorknob turn.   
  
“Oh, my-“ Buffy wasn’t even able to finish her sentence as Spike grabbed her by her arm and pushed her down to the floor while he stood up and watched the door open.   
  
“Spike, have you seen-“ It was Mrs. Summers’ turn to be cut off as the door opened to reveal a stark naked Spike standing behind his bed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very tall, reaching only up to his knees and thus failing to conceal any of the important body parts that he would have preferred to have remained hidden from his father’s girlfriend.   
  
“Oh, god!"   
  
“Bloody hell!" The two shouted in unison.   
  
One of Joyce’s hands immediately flew to cover her face, the other clumsily reaching for the door in a desperate attempt to grab the handle while the bleached teen, equally surprised, fumbled with the sheets, pulling them against his abdomen, frantically trying to cover himself. After a few very awkward and disturbing seconds, the older woman managed to close the door.   
  
“Bloody hell, you’re mom just saw me naked." Spike hissed at the girl lying at his feet.   
  
She was about to answer when a faltering voice carried through the bedroom door.   
  
“Um… Spike… Um… I-I’m sorry. I-I didn’t…   
  
“It’s ok Mrs. Summers." He said, frowning when he suddenly realised he had reverted back to calling her Mrs. Summers.   
  
“Well... H-have you seen Buffy?"   
  
The lines over his eyebrows grew deeper as he and Buffy exchanged looks.   
  
“Um… No, not really. Isn’t she in her bedroom?" That earned him a swat across his calf. “What?" He whispered to the girl sitting at his feet.   
  
“She’s gonna go and check now." She explained.   
  
“Or maybe she’s-“   
  
“I’ve already been to her room. She’s not there."   
  
“… already checked." Spike finished his sentenced with a look that screamed ‘duh!’, then, turning to stare at the closed door, continued: “Maybe she went out for a walk." Another smack. “Bloody hell will you stop doing that!" he hissed at Buffy.   
  
“What am I supposed to do now?" She asked, despair evident in her wide eyes.   
  
“Go to your room and get dressed."   
  
“But I’m all yucky and sticky! I need to take a shower!" She protested in a babyish tone.   
  
At her frown he ordered: “Now!"   
  
As silently as she could she opened the connecting door and started looking for clothes.   
  
“…going out?"   
  
The sight of Buffy, bare naked, squirming her way to her room caused Spike’s brain to short circuit and by the time he had all the wiring reconnected he had only managed to hear the last few words of the sentence.   
  
“Sorry, Mrs. Summers I didn’t hear what you said." He tried to control the hoarseness in voice as he watched Buffy frantically go about her room, urgently looking for something to wear. God, she was beautiful!   
  
“I asked if she told you anything about going out." Joyce repeated, the awkwardness of what had happened just seconds before still evident in her tone.   
  
“Um… I… Um…" ‘Naked Buffy! Naked Buffy! Naked Buffy!’ His brain insisted on chanting as he watched her putting on her jeans. “I think she said something… um…" Finally, as she slipped her thick sweater on, he was able to finish: “… something about going out for a walk. Um… Enjoy the clean air of Nature."   
  
A deep frown settled on Buffy’s eyebrows as entered the room mouthing: “Clean air of Nature?"   
  
At that Spike simply shrugged, lifting both his eyebrows apologetically.   
  
“Buffy woke up early? For a walk?" Joyce wondered out loud.   
  
“Yeah, go figure, huh?"   
  
“Well, did she tell you when she was coming back?" Joyce continued to question on the other side of the door.   
  
“Around eight or something." Spike blurted out.   
  
“Oh, okay. Well, Rupert and I are downstairs. Breakfast is almost ready and just as soon as Buffy comes home we’ll start opening the presents, ok?"   
  
“Ok, Mrs. Summers." Spike shouted back. He was about to say something to Buffy when Joyce’s voice reached them again:   
  
“Oh, Spike?"   
  
“Yeah?"   
  
“M-merry Christmas!"   
  
“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Summer!"   
  
The two teens waited a few moments in complete silence. Suddenly, Buffy’s hand flew towards Spike, smacking him across his arm.   
  
“Bloody hell Summers, Will, you stop hitting me?" Spike hissed rubbing his arm.   
  
“I’m sorry, that’s what I do when I get nervous." She said apologetically.   
  
“You hit people?" He asked cocking up a scarred eyebrow.   
  
She simply shrugged as she questioned:   
  
“What now, Einstein? Our parents are downstairs, how am I supposed to leave the house without them seeing me, huh?"   
  
“Through the window." He replied matter-of-factly.   
  
“The window? Are you insane?! We’re on the second floor!" She noted.   
  
“Actually, we’re on the first floor." Spike corrected.   
  
“First floor? What are you talking about? We’re on the second floor. Or do you think the kitchen and the living room are underground?" Buffy quipped rolling her eyes.   
  
“Depends on your point of view, I’m English; therefore *I’m* on the first floor." Spike replied haughtily, while Buffy simply stared wide eyed at him. He let out a long sigh and explained: “The floor underneath us is the ground floor; the floor above it, the one we’re on, is the first floor, the one after that is the second and so on and so on."   
  
“Huh?"   
  
“Oh, Forget it." He gave up. “You Yanks have it your way. It’s the second floor."   
  
“Huh…?" She repeated before shaking her head and adding: “Whatever… Still doesn’t explain how you’re planning on getting me out of the house without our parents noticing."   
  
“I’ll lower you down." He explained.   
  
“Ok, I’ll repeat this. It’s seven thirty in the morning, your brain is probably not able to catch all these little subtleties this early in the day but – We’re on the *second* floor." She spoke as if she was talking to an eight year old.   
  
His response was a forced smile which crumbled in seconds: “Do you have any other ideas? Sarcasm not included?"   
  
She narrowed her eyes and made her way to the window with Spike trailing right behind her.   
  
“See, there are bushes there to soften your fall and everything." Spike pointed out.   
  
“Yeah, rose bushes!" She stared up at him.   
  
“What? I’ll swing you."   
  
“Oh, not only do I have to jump off the second floor but I’m gonna be swung over a rose bush while I’m doing it?" She asked incredulous.   
  
“Oh, Come on Buffy!"   
  
Once again she dangerously narrowed her eyes at him as she swung one leg over the window ledge.   
  
“This is all you’re fault." She grumbled.   
  
“My fault? You’re the one who came into my bed in the middle of the night." Spike replied, but seeing the murderous look she was giving him decided to change strategies: “Ready?" He questioned grabbing a hold of her wrists.   
  
“Yes!"   
  
He was about to push her out when she grabbed his arms.   
  
“Wait!"   
  
“What?"   
  
“What about our parents? They’re downstairs, they are gonna see me fall if they look through the window." She noted.   
  
After a moment of thought he said:   
  
“I’ll swing you diagonally so you’ll be able to jump over the bushes and fall where there is no window."   
  
“Are you sure?" She questioned doubtful.   
  
“Seems pretty simple."   
  
“Yeah, cause you’re not the one doing the jumping." She grumbled.   
  
“Just relax. Take deep, long breaths."   
  
She closed her eyes and inhaled.   
  
“That’s it. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inha-“   
  
“Ok, I’m getting kinda dizzy here. I don’t think it’s working." She mumbled.   
  
“Sorry."   
  
“You better be." She pressed her lips together, inhaling one last time.   
  
“Ready?"   
  
She nodded and pushed herself off the window ledge as he held her by her arms.   
  
“Ok, I’m gonna swing you over now." He announced as he began to move his arms. After a few long motions he let go of her and she went flying over the brush, landing on the grass with a loud thud.   
  
“Ouch!" She protested as she rolled off the ground and clumsily stumbled onto her feet.   
  
“Are you ok?"   
  
Buffy wasn’t able to answer as Giles came rushing around the corner.   
  
“Buffy?"   
  
“Hey, Giles!" She greeted weakly. “Merry Christmas!"   
  
“Um… Merry Christmas! A-are you ok? What happened?" He asked helping her as she limped her way to the front door.   
  
“I kinda tripped." She lied and threw an evil glance at Spike. The teen stood at the window, watching as his father and Buffy rounded the corner, trying hard to keep from laughing.   
  
~+~   
  
The rest of the day went by uneventfully and mostly centred on the gift exchanging. They sat around the fireplace, each making their way through the wrappings of their respective presents.   
  
“Oh! It’s beautiful!" Joyce exclaimed gazing at the twin sapphire earrings. “Thank you so much!" She breathed still overwhelmed, leaning in to give Giles a kiss when she thought the ‘kids’ weren’t looking.   
  
Buffy and Spike merely decided to ignore the sight, focussing on their own presents.   
  
“Bridget Jones’ Diary?" Buffy asked inspecting the cover of the book she held in her hands.   
  
“It’s a real grabber according to a friend of mine back in London." Giles explained.   
  
The petite blonde smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.   
  
“Thanks, Giles!"   
  
“It was actually William’s idea." The older man corrected adjusting his glasses.   
  
Buffy tried to suppress a chuckle at the sound of Spike’s real name, but said nothing about it, merely nodded and replied: “Thanks, William." This earned her a glare from the bleached teen but it soon faded away when he glanced at his gift, finally unwrapped.   
  
“Oh, cool!" Spike piped up as he turned the CD to see its cover. “The greatest hits of the Sex Pistols!"   
  
“You’re father told me you liked them. I don’t really know much about the punk movement. Is it any good?" Joyce questioned a bit worried. “You can exchange it for something else if you like." She quickly added.   
  
“No, no! It’s perfect! Thanks Mrs. Summers."   
  
“Spike, we’ve been over this. Call me Joyce."   
  
“Right… Joyce. Sorry." He apologized. Somehow, after the ‘incident’ that very morning, calling her by her first name just seemed… wrong.   
  
“Oh, my God! A Kattar dagger. Where did you find this?" Giles asked, gawking at the watered steel curved blade he held in his hands.   
  
“I pulled a few strings." Joyce answered smiling at him.   
  
“T-this is unbelievable. I-I’ve been looking for this since… forever." He stuttered, his eyes never leaving the dagger as he occasionally fumbled with his glasses, nervously trying to adjust them.   
  
“I know."   
  
“Thank you, thank you so much." He said, bringing one arm around her waist and pulling her close for a long kiss.   
  
“Yew! Can you guys get a room or something? Minors present, remember?" Buffy protested giving them a disgusted look, quickly seconds by Spike:   
  
“Yeah! Please don’t scar us for life."   
  
At this, the couple pulled away, rolling their eyes at each other.   
  
“Well, I guess we should get working on the Christmas lunch, huh?" Joyce suggested clapping her hands together.   
  
“We’re gonna cook? All of us together? Again? I don’t think that’s such a hot idea, mom." Buffy said pulling her eyebrows together for a doubtful frown.   
  
“No, we are going to cook." Her mother corrected pointing at herself and Buffy.   
  
“What? And what are they going to do? Lie around, belly up, picking their teeth? " Buffy asked outraged while Spike and Giles spread out on the couch.   
  
“No. They are going out to chop some wood." Joyce explained.   
  
“What? We already have wood." Giles said sitting up straight.   
  
“The logs we have down in the basement are too big. We ran out of the small ones and the ones left don’t fit in the fireplace. You guys are going to have to chop them in half."   
  
“We’re leaving today anyway. Why chop all the wood?" Spike asked.   
  
“But it’s so cold." Buffy pouted, batting her eyes at Spike   
  
“Yes, you don’t want us helpless little women catching a cold, do you?" Joyce added, mimicking her daughter’s actions as she eyed Giles.   
  
“But…" Spike tried to protest as he watched the women stand up and head for the kitchenette.   
  
“No buts. Go. Be manly!" Joyce shushed them.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy mewled letting herself drop on the bed with a loud thud.   
  
“I don’t feel so good." She grumbled holding her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling.   
  
“No wonder. With the amount of food you gobble up." Mrs. Summers said shaking her head disapprovingly. “I told you not to eat that third slice of pie."   
  
“Erg! Don’t mention food. Pleeease!" The teen begged, rolling onto her side, her hands still resting protectively over her swollen stomach.   
  
“That’s what you get for being a glutton." Joyce continued.   
  
“It’s Christmas Day. There is no such thing as gluttony." Buffy countered barely able to speak.   
  
“Come, get off the bed and help me pack." Mrs. Summers replied ignoring her daughter’s ‘suffering’.   
  
“I still don’t understand why we have to go home so soon. I mean, it’s Christmas Day!" Buffy noted closing her eyes as she felt another strong spasm lurking.   
  
“I told you, I have to go back to the gallery and Rupert wants to have the bookshop open tomorrow."   
  
“Who buys art or books the day after Christmas?" Buffy inquired holding up her hands and frowning.   
  
“For someone who didn’t even want to come here in the first place you’re not too keen on leaving, are you?"   
  
“Oh, my God! You said ‘keen’. Maybe we have spent too much time with the Giles family." Buffy grumbled, forcing herself into the sitting position.   
  
“Lets see." Joyce took in a deep breath and opened her daughter’s wardrobe.   
  
“Can’t we just wait a couple of hours?" Buffy asked dragging her feet on her way over to where her mother stood.   
  
“It’s four o’clock. By the time you’ve packed it’ll be six. I don’t want to be driving down the mountain at night. That road is really tricky, especially if it rains." Joyce explained as she began taking the clothes from the wardrobe and putting them into the luggage.   
  
~+~   
  
Within an hour they were all packed, the truck of the car was already full and the four prepared to leave.   
  
“Are you certain you didn’t leave anything behind?" Joyce asked for the fourth time.   
  
“I’m positive mom." Buffy mumbled as she entered the vehicle.   
  
“Just making sure." Mrs. Summers said buckling her seatbelt.   
  
“Even if you’ve forgotten something, it’s just a half an hour’s drive away. We can always come back and get it." Giles explained as he turned the keys and the engine roared.   
  
Slowly and evenly the small car set to the road, taking each tortuous curve at a time. In the backseat, Buffy swung her legs over Spike’s, their hands secretly intertwined.   
  
Joyce’s gaze glided over the landscape and finally fixed, for a few seconds, on the man driving the car. An unconscious smile settled over her lips when she glanced over her shoulders to find Buffy slowly drifting into slumber, her head resting over Spike’s shoulder as he looked out the window. As her returned to the road, she let out a content sigh and she let her mind drift over the events of the last few days spent up at the cabin.   
  
~+~   
  
“Well, this is our stop, I guess." Joyce announced as the car pulled up to the familiar driveway. Turning to face Giles she smiled: “Thanks again for a wonderful holiday. It was one of the best Christmas by far."   
  
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. We should go up there during the summer. It’s actually warm enough to swim in the lake." Giles said as he opened the car door for Joyce.   
  
“We’ll think about it."   
  
In the meantime, the two teens stood on the other side of the car staring at each other, silently saying their goodbyes.   
  
“Buffy, are you coming?"   
  
Her mother’s voice seemed to snap her out of her daze.   
  
“Coming." She shouted back before turning to Spike and saying: “I’ll see you later." She was about to leave when she felt him grab her hand.   
  
“I’ll call you tonight." He whispered.   
  
“I’ll be waiting." She flashed him a quick smile before running up to the house. “Thanks again, Giles." She shouted waving her hand as she watched the car drive off.   
  
~+~   
  
“Well, I better go now Willow. He said he’d call me tonight." She announced twirling her finger around the plastic cord. “Ok, bye then." She said before putting down the receiver.   
  
She let out a deep sigh, staring up at the ceiling and letting her eyes drift close for a second. She had just finished an hour-long telephone conversation with Willow, detailing everything that had gone on up in the cabin. Actually, it had been more of a monologue with occasional interrupting ‘uh’s and ‘ah’s coming from the other side of the line.   
  
She felt her limbs get number and number, her eyelids heavier and her breathing slower as she drifted into sleep. Suddenly, the sharp sound of a phone ringing snapped her out of her thoughts. She was about to grumbled something when she realised who it was. Quickly, she rolled onto her side and reached for the receiver.   
  
“Hey! I thought you’d never c- Giles? Is that you? Oh, sorry, thought it was… someone else." She couldn’t help the disappointment evident in her voice. “Yeah, I’ll call my mom. Mom!" She shouted, but there was no answer. Reluctantly, she stood up and made her way to the hall and down the stairs. “Mom?"   
  
“Yes, honey?"   
  
“Phone. It’s for you. Giles." Buffy grumbled stomping her way upstairs and putting the receiver back into place before coming back down the stairs. Since she was up, she might as well have something to drink. Drink, no eating. Eating was definitely out of the question for the next two days.   
  
She walked about the kitchen getting a glass and pouring herself some orange juice when she heard her mother come in.   
  
“That was Rupert."   
  
“I know mom, I picked up the phone, remember?" Buffy mumbled taking a sip of her drink.   
  
“You’re in a good mood." Joyce noted.   
  
“I’m just tired." She excused herself as she sat on a nearby stool.   
  
“Well, he wanted to know if we were going to the Chase’s this year, for New Year’s Eve."   
  
“Isn’t that what we always do?"   
  
“Yes, it is. I was trying to get him to go." Joyce said leaning on the counter as she sipped from her own glass. “He never goes. Thinks it’s too official."   
  
“Can you blame him?"   
  
“I guess not."   
  
“It’s just so dull and boring. All of Sunnydale is there. Plus it’s a black tie event,"   
  
“Exactly!" At her daughter’s frown, Mrs. Summers elaborated. “Black tie means Rupert in a tuxedo."   
  
‘Which means Spike in a tuxedo.’ Buffy realised. Suddenly, the thought of going to the Chase’s New Year’s Even party was actually *very* appealing.   
  
  
  
Chapter 37   
  
Buffy sighed in frustration as she nervously twisted her hair in front of the mirror. She eyed the clock for the fifth time in the last half hour.   
  
“Buffy, you better hurry! They’ll be here any minute." She heard her mother shout from the hall.   
  
“I’ll be there in a sec." She yelled back as she turned in front of the mirror. “Oh, I give up." She hissed at the white walls, stopping to check the way she looked one more time before leaving.   
  
She nearly bumped into her mother as she exited the bathroom.   
  
“Wow! You look amazing!" Buffy breathed.   
  
“You don’t think the red lipstick is a little too much?" Mrs. Summers asked a bit doubtful.   
  
“You look great, mom. Giles will be left picking his chin up off the floor." She reassured her with a smile.   
  
“Speaking of which…" Joyce trailed off when she heard the doorbell ring.   
  
The two quickly made their way down the stairs and Mrs. Summers inhaled deeply before opening the door to reveal Giles and Spike, both wearing black tuxedos.   
  
“Happy New Year’s E-“ Giles stopped in mid sentence when he saw the woman holding the door open for him. He stared blindly at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.   
  
“Wow!" Spike finally said, raising an eyebrow and giving his father a light push.   
  
“Oh, s-sorry! You just look… um… beautiful!" He finally managed to say.   
  
She wore a long black evening gown which crossed over her left shoulder leaving her right one exposed.   
  
“Thank you." Joyce replied blushing furiously. “You two look quite handsome yourselves. Come in."   
  
Spike rubbed his hands together as the two men walked in from the cold.   
  
“Where’s Buffy?" He asked trying to mask the anxiety in his voice.   
  
He hadn’t seen her since they had come home from the cabin. The last week had been extremely hectic, with him helping his father at the bookstore and Buffy at the gallery, there hadn’t been any time to spare.   
  
“She was right behind me." Joyce frowned looking around as she walked into the kitchen. “That’s odd." She noted when she failed to find her there.   
  
“Maybe-“   
  
“Hey, guys."   
  
The three turned to see Buffy coming down the stairs. She wore a simple light blue dress which fitted tightly around her breasts and drift freely around the rest of her body. Twin strings travelled over each exposed collarbone to reach the back of the dress, while a long scarf was wrapped around her thin neck to complete the outfit. Her blonde locks tumbled over her bare shoulders, floating lightly as she took each step at a time.   
  
It was Spike’s turn to gawk. He stood at the end of the staircase looking up at her, his mouth partially open.   
  
“Buffy, you look beautiful." Giles complimented with a smile as he adjusted his glasses once more.   
  
“Thank you." She replied, a light flush taking over her cheeks when she realised how intensely Spike was staring at her.   
  
“Where did you go?" Joyce asked when the young girl finally reached the hall.   
  
“I forgot my bag." She answered, waving the small item she held in her hands, her eyes never leaving the bleached teen standing next to her.   
  
“Shall we then?" Giles asked offering his right arm to Joyce, who gladly accepted, worming her hands around it.   
  
It took a while but, eventually, as the older couple exited the house, Spike seemed to snap out of his daze.   
  
“God, you are so beautiful." He managed to gasp in her ear as she locked the front door.   
  
The feel of his breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine and she had to shut her eyes tightly for a second before turning to face him with a smile:   
  
“Thanks." She tried to look as nonchalant as possible and not sound like a giddy teenager with a crush as she continued: “That tux really looks good on you."   
  
“It’s the same from Homecoming." He replied, his eyes still fixed on her.   
  
“What?" She questioned as they made their way to the car.   
  
“You look…" He struggled with the words. “God, I missed you so much." Without thinking, he suddenly moved closer to her, preparing to wrap his arms around her, his mouth dangerously close to hers.   
  
“What are you doing?" She hissed, pressing her hand against his chest.   
  
He shook his head slightly, closing and opening his eyes a couple of times before uttering:   
  
“What?"   
  
“Our parents." She whispered as they came closer to the vehicles.   
  
“Oh, right." He grumbled as he opened the car door for her.   
  
~+~   
  
Giles stepped out and handed the key to one of the young men dressed in a black uniform who stood in front of the house. In all farness, it resembled more a mansion than anything else.   
  
“Ready?" He asked with a plastic smile, offering his arm to Joyce as he held the car door for her.   
  
“You really hate this, don’t you?" She questioned, trying to stop from chuckling.   
  
“With every fibre in my body." He replied as they stepped into the majestic hallway where a few other couples gathered to greet the hostess.   
  
“Come on. Be nice." She whispered just as a woman in a flaming red dress approached them.   
  
“Oh, Joyce, you made it!" Mrs. Chase shouted gleefully as she crossed the hall towards them, a huge grin on and arms wide open to embrace Joyce.   
  
“Joanne, it’s good to see you. Happy New Year’s Eve!" Joyce greeted, wrapping her arms around the tall brunette.   
  
“Happy New Year’s Eve!" She replied gingerly. “Oh, Mr. Giles, you finally came! I’ve been trying to get you to come to our party for years now!" She continued as she turned her attentions to the shopkeeper.   
  
“It’s nice to be here. And please, it’s just Giles." Rupert replied putting on his most cordial smile as he took the hostess’ hand and lightly brushed his lips over it.   
  
“Oh, you Brits are *such* gentlemen!" Mrs. Chase gushed bringing her free hand to cover her mouth.   
  
In the meantime, the younger couple stood behind them, exchanging looks of longing when suddenly...   
  
“Oh! William! You’re here too." Joanne shouted coming to hug him. “Look at you! You look so handsome." She continued giddily.   
  
“Hey, Mrs. Chase." Spike mumbled lowering his head slightly embarrassed.   
  
“And Buffyyy!"   
  
The blonde teen flinched at the piercing shriek the older woman let out.   
  
“Oh, are you two a couple? You look so cute! So sweeet!"   
  
The two teens felt their hearts stop for a second, their eyes going wide as they searched for an answer.   
  
“Well, we…" Buffy started.   
  
“We’re… um…" Spike tried.   
  
Thankfully, Mrs. Summers came to their rescue:   
  
“Where’s Michael?" Joyce cut in a bit abruptly, but still with a wide smile on.   
  
“He’s probably by the pool area." Mrs. Chase replied, her eyes quickly returning to land on the tall shopkeeper now standing in front of her. “It’s so nice to have you here Giles." She said eyeing the Englishman from head to toe and back up again.   
  
As a result, Giles nervously fidgeted with his glasses, adjusting them for the millionth time as he was about to say something.   
  
“Well, we’ll just go over to say hi then." Mrs. Summers interrupted, wrapping her arm around Giles’ and practically dragging him away.   
  
As soon as they were out of earshot she tugged at his sleeve:   
  
“No need to be *that* nice." She mumbled with a frown.   
  
“Oh, Willow’s over there." Buffy noted and the two teens slipped away from the overly peppy hostess before she had a chance to make any more awkward questions. “Mom!" She shouted after her mother. “We’re going to go over to talk to Willow, ok?"   
  
Mrs. Summers nodded and turned towards the pool area.   
  
“Hey, Wills!" Buffy greeted as she moved through the crowd, Spike trailing behind her.   
  
“Buffy! Hey!" Willow replied when the couple reached her. “Spike."   
  
“Red." He said with a slight nod. “Where’s the whelp and Oz?"   
  
Before Willow could answer, Spike felt someone pat him on the shoulder.   
  
“Spike, long time no see." Oz spoke as he handed Willow a glass of soda while taking a sip from his own.   
  
“Haven’t seen Xander yet. He’s probably in full make out mode with Cordy." Willow answered Spike’s question.   
  
“I don’t think so." Buffy chuckled, spotting Xander across the room.   
  
The teen stood next to Mr. Chase, looking terrified; a plastic grin plastered on his face as he pretended to be listening to the tall man ramble on about something apparently very dull.   
  
“I think Mr. Chase caught him." Buffy continued as the four now leaned back and watched the sad spectacle.   
  
“Oh, poor thing! Mr. Chase is probably giving him the famous ‘kill or be killed’ speech." Willow lamented.   
  
“Kill or be killed?" Buffy asked with a frown, looking around and feeling very much out of the loop when she saw Spike shake his head and throw a pity glance in Xander’s direction.   
  
“Yep. Mr. Chase’s theory. According to it, the law in the world today is kill or be killed. It’s a battle for survival in which we all have to choose if we’re gonna be hunters or… lunch." Willow summed up.   
  
There was silence once again as the four observed the brunette be mercilessly tormented with the older man’s gruesome perspective on life. Xander fidgeted nervously, widening his silly grin and nodding enthusiastically every time Mr. Chase’s eyes fell on him.   
  
“He’s doomed." Spike piped up. “That speech could take hours."   
  
“How do you know?" Buffy glanced at him.   
  
“Um... I… um… I" The stuttered as she struggled to find and answer.   
  
“It’s common knowledge." Oz stepped in.   
  
“Then why don’t I know about ‘the speech’." She asked still looking up at Spike.   
  
“Cause you’re not common, luv." The Brit whispered in her ear.   
  
The feel of his strong body pressing against her side seemed to fog her mind and she soon forgot about the subject as she stared back at the Xander.   
  
~+~   
  
A glimpse of hope seemed to flash in the teen’s eyes when he saw the small group gathered across the room from him.   
  
“Help me." He mouthed while Mr. Chase wasn’t looking.   
  
“So, you see, in the corporate world we live today young people like you have to fend for themselves. It’s a jungle out there." The older man paused bringing the cigar back to his lips for a few seconds before recommencing: “I’m telling you it’s kill or…" He turned to look at the teen standing next to him who immediately stood up straight.   
  
“Or be killed." Xander completed the sentence with false enthusiasm.   
  
“Exactly!" Mr. Chase practically shouted as he patted the teen’s back nearly causing him to choke on his own saliva. “You’re a bright young man! I knew my Cordy-poo knew how to pick them."   
  
Xander grinned weakly at the plump man, praying to all gods to be saved when Mr. Chase continued:   
  
“Have I told you about that one time my company took over…"   
  
‘Oh, God, not again! Please! Not again!’ He begged in his mind.   
  
“Oh, honey! There you are!" A high pitched voice came out of nowhere. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Hello, Xander!"   
  
“Hi, Mrs. Chase." Xander greeted with a hint of hope.   
  
“You don’t mind if I borrow my husband, do you?"   
  
“Not at all!" He replied a little too enthusiastically.   
  
“Joanne, does it have to be now? I was just about to tell him about the McKinley take over." The cigar-smoking man protested.   
  
“Well, you’ll have to save that for later. I need you now. The mayor just got here." Mrs. Chase explained as she guided her husband into the crowd.   
  
Xander let out a long sigh of relief and quickly made his way across the room to meet up with the rest of the gang.   
  
“Hey!" He said meekly.   
  
“Hey. How was the torture?" Oz asked.   
  
“Torturous." Xander quipped.   
  
“My sentiments." Willow said giving him a friendly pat on his shoulder.   
  
“Where’s Cordy?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“Probably still upstairs getting dressed." Xander answered shrugging. “Wants to make a big entrance, as always."   
  
“What’s with the jazz fad?" Spike asked, his index finger pointing upwards as another Billy Holiday song came on.   
  
“It’s Mrs. Chase’s thing." Buffy explained, casually leaning against Spike when the room scan for their parents came out negative. “Every year she picks a decade and only plays music from that period. This year’s the 30’s."   
  
“No New Year songs?" Spike frowned.   
  
“Nope." Willow replied, popping the ‘p’.   
  
“That’s odd."   
  
“Better odd than painful." Xander intervened.   
  
At Spike’s confused look Willow stepped in:   
  
“Last year’s decade was the 70’s."   
  
“Very, very 70’s." Buffy added.   
  
“There are only so many times you can hear ‘Staying Alive’ before the inevitable urge to kill the DJ take over you." Willow cringed at the memory.   
  
“Hey, the 70’s weren’t all disco, you know? Remember punk?" Spike argued.   
  
“Believe me, for Mrs. Chase, it was disco all the way." Xander retorted.   
  
“I can’t believe I was actually sighing in relief every time they played Elvis." Willow noted as Oz wrapped his arm around her.   
  
Buffy eyed the couple and felt a knot start to form in her stomach. She wanted to be able to do that with her boyfriend and not worry if her mother caught them. She gulped when she felt Spike secretly caress her back, their bodies ‘casually’ pressed against each other as the two hungrily grasped any opportunity to touch each other. Buffy shook her head slightly, trying to concentrate on the conversation. What was the subject again? Oh, right - Disco’s the devil’s music. ‘God, we really have to tell our parents the truth!’ Buffy thought when Spike’s hand drifted south brushing over the soft curve of her buttocks.   
  
“I mean, the Bee Gee’s were…" Xander trailed off when he realised the sudden silence that invaded the room.   
  
He turned around to see Cordelia entering; every single person in the room went silent and stared at the red-clad brunette. With extreme elegance and poise, apparently oblivious to the effect she had on the crowd, she crossed the great hall heading towards the familiar group. Slowly, the background murmur returned to normal as she reached the gang.   
  
“Hey!" She greeted.   
  
“Cordelia, you look amazing!" Willow complimented.   
  
“I know." She simply replied eyeing her boyfriend who was still picking up his jaw off the floor.   
  
Buffy smirked at her smug attitude. It was just so Cordy-like. Her smile soon faded as she looked over her shoulder to find Spike staring at the brunette, his eyes slightly widened. Something in her stomach twisted painfully but she didn’t say anything, simply continued to listen to the conversation.   
  
Spike frowned when he felt her step away from him. He moved closer and once again she inched away.   
  
“Something wrong, luv?" He leaned in to whisper in her ear.   
  
“Parents." She replied calmly.   
  
“They’re outside." He frowned, trying to wrap his arms around her but she pulled away discreetly.   
  
“Don’t want to risk it." She said, her eyes never meeting his as she looked on.   
  
“You were fine about it a minute ago." He pressed on.   
  
“Well, I changed my mind." She continued nonchalantly.   
  
She smiled and turned to say something to Willow when she suddenly felt his hand around her arm.   
  
“Excuse us." He said to the group with a forced smile and, before she knew it, Buffy was being dragged through the crowd and soon found herself in a fairly secluded hall.   
  
“What’s wrong?" He asked, letting go of her arm after he had turned her around to face him.   
  
“Nothing’s wrong." She insisted, letting out a long sigh as she leaned on the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.   
  
“Buffy…" He tilted his head sideways, waiting for an explanation.   
  
“It’s nothing."   
  
He looked at her from under a furrowed brow, clearly not convinced.   
  
Buffy pouted as she slowly realised how ridiculous she was being.   
  
“It’s just… the way you looked at Cordy back there."   
  
“What?"   
  
“You were all…" She widened her eyes trying to imitate his look. “…salivaty."   
  
“Salivaty?" He frowned.   
  
“Yeah. Salivating a lot… salivaty." She explained awkwardly.   
  
“I don’t think that word exists, pet." He smirked at her as she fidgeted nervously with the strings of her bag.   
  
“Fine. It doesn’t exist." She murmured. “Can we go now? I don’t wanna get caught back here."   
  
He said nothing, simply continued to smile as he leaned closer to her. She moved backwards and felt the cold wall against her back.   
  
“What are you doing? Someone might walk by." She whispered when he continued to inch closer to her.   
  
“Do you have any idea just how cute you look when you’re jealous?" He asked ignoring her questions as his lips brushed over hers, his hands travelling over her hips.   
  
“I wasn’t jealous!" She piped up a little too loudly. Hers eyes widened and she scanned their surrounding. “I wasn’t jealous." She repeated, this time a mere whisper. “I was just-“   
  
She was cut off as he suddenly attacked her mouth, his hand grasping her neck below her ear to cup her cheek and bring her closer to him.   
  
Buffy moaned into his mouth, eagerly responding to the kiss, her arms worming between their bodies to pull him by the lapels of his tux.   
  
They battled furiously, their hips crushed against each other in a desperate attempt to be closer, hands erratically gliding over their bodies, trying to touch every single inch of the other at once.   
  
“God, I missed you…" He managed to breathe between urgent kisses.   
  
“Missed… hum…" His mouth covered hers, preventing her from completing her sentence.   
  
Spike pressed his body against hers, crushing her against the wall as the kisses grew hungrier and more desperate.   
  
“Are you sure you left it in your room, Maria?"   
  
Mrs. Chase’s high-pitched voice snapped them out of their daze.   
  
“Oh, my God!" Buffy whispered breathless as she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer.   
  
Without a word, Spike grabbed her hand and once again they were racing down the hall.   
  
“Here." Buffy hissed pointing at a nearby door.   
  
“No, that’s the housekeeper’s room. Here’s better." He said opening the nearby plantation shutter to reveal a small storage room.   
  
The moment the door closer behind them, Mrs. Chase and Maria rounded the corner to find the hall empty.   
  
The two teens stood quietly in the closet, holding their breaths until they were sure the women were gone.   
  
“That was close." Spike breathed taking a step closer to Buffy and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Now, where were we?"   
  
He frowned when she pulled away from him.   
  
“How did you know?" She asked.   
  
“What?" He questioned.   
  
“How did you know it was the housekeeper’s room?" She repeated.   
  
“Well, um…" He paused for a second then blurted out. “Mrs. Chase asked about something being in ‘Maria’s’ room. I assumed Maria was the housekeeper a-and that they were going to her room."   
  
“There are at least three other door’s in this hall. How’d you know *that* one was the room?"   
  
“I… Um… I-it was during Homecoming while I was looking for you and…"   
  
“Spike, you were here before, weren’t you? Before homecoming?" Buffy questioned.   
  
“No… I just-“   
  
“Don’t lie to me." She narrowed her eyes at him in the shadows of the room.   
  
He let out a long sigh in defeat.   
  
“Fine! Yes, I’ve been here before. Lots of times actually." He mumbled as she stared wide eyed at him.   
  
  
  
Chapter 38   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the wonderful Ali for betaing this so quickly! You're the best BETA mom!   
  
“How…? W-when?" Buffy hesitated as her mind quickly came up with a series of answers, none of which she liked too much. “Did you and Cordy…"   
  
“What?! God, no!" He immediately denied shaking his head vehemently.   
  
“Then…"   
  
“It’s… um…" He looked at her before sighing audibly and blurting out: “ItutoredCordelia."   
  
“Huh?" That was definitely not the explanation she was expecting.   
  
“I tutored Cordelia." He repeated. “In English, last year." He grumbled lowering his head.   
  
“You tutored Cordy?"   
  
“Yes." He sighed heavily.   
  
“You tutored someone?" She continued to question incredulous.   
  
“Surprised, luv?"   
  
“Very." She nodded.   
  
“We’ll she was kinda slipping and Mrs. Kennedy asked me to help her out. So, I ended up coming here every Friday afternoon. That’s how come I know this house so well." He explained.   
  
“Wow."   
  
He rolled his eyes before pressing his fingers over the bridge of his nose.   
  
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?" She asked still baffled by the revelation.   
  
“What?! And let everyone label me as a geek? No way. It took me too long to get my badass rep over here. I wasn’t about to lose it." He shook his head as he walked around in small circles in the confined space. “Plus, Cordy wasn’t too keen on letting everyone know that she needed tutoring."   
  
There was a moment of pause in which Buffy looked like she was doing a slow-motion imitation of a fish out of water, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly.   
  
“Actually, Oz and Red know about it too." He said, trying to break the awkward silence.   
  
At that Buffy looked up and frowned.   
  
“It kinda slipped during Homecoming while you were…" He swallowed hard and decided to avoid the subject. “…gone."   
  
“You told them and didn’t tell me?!" A hint of disappointment was evident in her voice.   
  
“I told you. I wasn’t planning on telling anyone at all. It just slipped." He mumbled, leaning against the wall, opposite her.   
  
“That’s how come everyone knew about the ‘speech’ but me, huh?"   
  
“Sorry." He said in a weak voice, tilting his head sideways.   
  
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest in silence before uttering:   
  
“H-how? You never pay attention in class in English. You’re always scribbling away in you notepad."   
  
“That’s cause most of what the teacher’s teaching I already know." He replied smugly.   
  
“Then what is it you are constantly writing?" She inquired with a half smile as she narrowed her eyes at him.   
  
At that there was a renewed silence. Spike pulled at the black bowtie around his neck, loosening it a bit. He tried to hide his face as he stared down at the floor; the light coming through the shutters destroying his effort.   
  
“Spike…?"   
  
“It’s poetry, alright?" He replied a bit snippy, dropping his arms limply at his sides in defeat.   
  
“Poetry?!"   
  
“Yes." He hissed while she closed the small distance between them. “I write poetry and Mrs. Kennedy helps me with it. So, there you have it, I’m a geek. Happy now?" He grumbled, daring to look up at her for the first time since they had started the conversation.   
  
He felt his breath catch in his throat when she was suddenly pressed against him, her lips crushing into his for a demanding kiss. It took a few seconds for him to respond but, eventually, he did. His arms quickly wrapped around her, one hand buried itself in her hair as he opened his mouth to welcome her in. The two stumbled backwards and soon Buffy found herself pushed up against a wall with Spike leaning on her.   
  
He gasped as her small hands reached for his shirt, hurriedly pulling it out of his pants before snaking her fingers under it to run over his abdomen. It wasn’t long before those same fingers found their way down south, practically tearing the black sash of his tux as they reached for the waistband of his pants.   
  
“What are you- Ah!" He mewled as her hand roughly cupped his erection through the black fabric.   
  
She moved her palm up and down as her teeth attacked his earlobe.   
  
“God, Buffy… wha…" He swallowed hard as her hand wormed into his pants to brush over the dark curls there. “Wha’ are you doing?" He managed to ask, resting his forehead on the wall over her shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut, his teeth clenching and unclenching as he searched for control.   
  
She never answered him, trailing harsh kisses up his neck to capture his lips. Her arms flew over his shoulders and before he could react, her legs were wrapped around his waist, her light blue dress hitched up over her thighs.   
  
His mouth instinctively searched for the tender skin of her neck, lightly nibbling at it as she thrust her pelvis against his, causing him to let out a strangled cry.   
  
“Buffy…" he gasped.   
  
“I want you." She breathed as her fingers wrapped themselves around his dishevelled curls and forced him to look up at her.   
  
Without warning she smashed her mouth over his for another bruising and urgent kiss, while her hand dipped between their bodies and slipped into his pants to encircle his cock once again.   
  
“God…" Spike moaned as her small hand wrapped around his cock and began gliding up and down.   
  
“I missed you." She said between ragged breaths.   
  
“I missed you so much." He replied, his lips returning to their previous task as he placed a series of open-mouth kisses over her neck.   
  
“I tried to get… ah!" She groaned as he reached the sensitive spot below her earlobe. “… get away from… t-the gallery…" She panted, while her hand continued to pump him. “… but the place was swamped… a-and…" She stopped in mid sentence when she felt him grab a hold of her wrist and pull her hand from between her bodies. She frowned and looked down at him.   
  
“You keep that up and I’m not gonna last." He answered her as he drew shallow and quick breaths from his lungs. He stared up at her for a few seconds before asking: “Are you sure you wanna…" He tilted his head downwards. “…here? Someone might…"   
  
Another frown settled over her perfectly shaped eyebrows.   
  
“Y-you don’t want me?" She choked.   
  
“What?" He asked in disbelief.   
  
“It’s just that…"   
  
He ground his hips against her and growled in a low voice as he suggestively narrowed his eyes at her: “Does it feel like I don’t want you?"   
  
She felt a flush take over he cheeks and shook her head.   
  
“Just wanted to make sure you wanted…" He whispered in her ear. “Don’t want you working me up and then changing your mind, is all."   
  
“Since when do I do that?" She mocked in false indignation.   
  
“Since always." He replied simply as he continued to lick his way up and down her neck, making it hard for her to concentrate on the topic at hand.   
  
“I…" gasps “…never did…" swallow “that."   
  
He immediately abandoned his ministrations to look up at her.   
  
“What about that day in the cabin?" At her frown he continued. “The time I told you the truth about Andrew and Angel. Remember?" He continued in a high-pitched voice, mockingly trying to mimic hers: “No! Not now! Tonight. When they’re asleep."   
  
“They could have heard us." She defended herself, adding a pout.   
  
“They can bloody well hear us now too." He contoured.   
  
“Oh, come on. There is a party going on out there. No one will hear." She argued.   
  
“They will if you scream."   
  
“I won’t scream."   
  
“Are you doubting that I can make you scream?" He pulled his chest away from hers, while her legs stayed wrapped around his waist, and cupped her backside.   
  
“No. I just won’t." She explained, rubbing herself against him and causing him to roll his eyes back in their sockets for a second.   
  
“It’s not really your choice, now is it?" He asked in a deep, husky voice leaning closer to her. “Sometimes you just *have* to scream." He said suggestively running his tongue over his lips.   
  
“Ego much?" She asked, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him, but it quickly fell back into place as he thrust his pelvis into hers. “There’s loud music no one-“   
  
“Stupid kids! Keep running around and bumping into people."   
  
Buffy and Spike froze as they heard Snyder’s familiar voice coming from the hall.   
  
“I-I’m really sorry Mayor Wilkins. I didn’t mean to spill my drink on you." He continued to babble. “It’s just that idiot Harris ran into me and-“   
  
“It’s ok, Snyder." Mayor Wilkins creepily peppy voice reached the teens in the closet. “Now, which door was it? Second door on the right or left?"   
  
“I-I think Mrs. Chase said the bathroom was the second door on the left."   
  
Buffy stared wide eyed as the two men stopped in front of the shutters. Her eyes practically fell out of their sockets when she felt one of Spike’s hands abandon her hips to slither between their bodies. Her frightened gaze alternated frantically between Spike’s face and his hand. She swallowed hard when she heard the distinct metallic sound of a zipper sliding open.   
  
“What are you doing?" She uttered soundlessly.   
  
She froze when one finger brushed over her panties and pushed them to the side.   
  
“No!" She mouthed trying to pull the intruding hand away without making any noise.   
  
The sound of running water reached her ears and when she turned to look through the shutters she realised only one of the men remained in the hall – Mr. Snyder. Behind him, directly opposite to the plantation shutters, was an open door that revealed a bathroom. As the principal nervously walked in circles in the corridor, Buffy was able to spot that the mayor was inside the other room, leaning over the sink and struggling to clean his trousers.   
  
Her attention flew back to Spike when she felt something hard press against her entrance.   
  
“No!" She breathed, a mixture of fear and excitement rushing through her veins.   
  
“No one will hear." He whispered, leaning against the side of her face, his eyes closed as he ran his tongue over her ear.   
  
“Wait, Spike…" She whispered.   
  
“And you won’t scream, remember?" He asked in a husky voice before slowly thrusting his hips forward and entering her.   
  
Buffy’s eyes flew open as she felt him sluggishly slip between her folds, stretching them. She held her breath, biting her lower lip with all her strength as she struggled to keep from moaning out his name, her nails digging into the padded shoulders of his tux.   
  
He refused to enter her completely, pulling out and pushing in only the tip of his cock with excruciatingly slow movements.   
  
“Spike they’re…" She trailed off for a moment when he lightly nibbled at her earlobe. God, she loved that! “T-they’re gonna… ah… hear."   
  
He let his face slide over her neck, his nose nuzzling against the soft skin as he reached her collarbone. In the meantime, his hips continued to move, slightly pushing forward, teasing her mercilessly as he pulled back out.   
  
“Spike…" She breathed; her voice practically inaudible.   
  
“I want you so much…" He silently growled in her hear, suddenly slamming into her.   
  
“Ah!" She gasped, her mouth going wide, mimicking her eyes.   
  
In the hall, Mr. Snyder came to a halt.   
  
“What was that?" They heard Mr. Snyder ask.   
  
“What was what?" The mayor questioned, not really interested as he continued to stare down at the stain on his pants.   
  
Buffy felt her heart skip a beat and Spike froze inside her, his face still buried in the crook of her neck.   
  
“I think I heard something."   
  
“It was probably just the music." The mayor offered, rubbing a piece of wet toilet paper over the black fabric.   
  
“No, it was-“   
  
“Darn it!" Mayor Wilkins suddenly hissed, dropping the paper into the nearby waste bin. “Pesky little stain won’t come out!"   
  
“Well, Mrs. Chase should be here any second with the stain remover. I’m sure it’ll come right off. Be good as new." Mr. Snyder spoke in a fast pace, rubbing his hands together while the other man picked another piece of toilet paper and resumed his task.   
  
Buffy’s eyes were still fixed on the two men in the corridor, when she felt Spike move inside her. Without warning he pulled out of her and pushed back in, causing her to bite back a moan as she held her breath.   
  
His hands cupped her ass, holding her up against the wall as he started to set a slow, steady rhythm. His mouth worked her neck, his tongue hungrily licking every inch of her exposed flesh as he drove in and out of her.   
  
“We have to… stop… We-Oh! God! We need to…"   
  
“Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor? Oh, here you are!" Mrs. Chase’s painfully squeaky voice pierced through Buffy’s blinding daze. “I thought I told you to use the bathroom in the office. It was closest. I’ve been looking for you all over the house. Now, let me see that nasty stain."   
  
With a foggy gaze Buffy turned to the left to see, through the shutters, Mrs. Chase spraying something on the Mayor’s trousers before rubbing it in.   
  
“See Mayor Wilkins, I told you it would…"   
  
Mr. Snyder’s eager whine seemed to fade into the background along with Etta James’ soulful voice as one of Spike’s hands abandoned the curve of her ass to slip between their bodies and find her clit. His thumb pressed small circles over it, while his pelvis continued to thrust into her at growingly faster and more urgent pace.   
  
“Spike… don’t… Christ!" She hissed arching her neck, further exposing it to him.   
  
But he had already focused on something else. In the midst of their hard grinding, the strings on one side of her dress had fallen over her shoulder, causing the blue fabric to skim down over her chest, partially exposing her pale breast. His mouth eagerly trailed down, his chin working to push the gown further until one perfectly erect nipple was peeking out. His lips immediately parted to take the small pebble between them, letting his tongue roll around it before pressing against it.   
  
Buffy couldn’t take it anymore, the combination of having him kissing and nibbling at her nipple, one rough thumb brushing and massaging her swollen clit while he drove hard into her was just too much.   
  
“That’s it luv! Come for me… Come for me…" He secretly coaxed, never abandoning her breast as he looked up to see her face contort in pleasure.   
  
Her eyes were tightly shut, her eyebrows marred by a painful frown, her mouth closed, but her lips parted to reveal her clenched teeth as she fought her rapidly approaching orgasm.   
  
“Well, I think the stain’s out."   
  
“Well Mrs. Chase, you are a miracle worker indeed." Mayor Wilkins said with a plastic grin as he exited the bathroom. “We better hurry then, only five more minutes till midnight."   
  
“Oh, God, Spike." She hissed, gasping over and over again, swallowing hard, gulping for air as she felt the pressure ready to explode inside of her.   
  
“Please, Buffy… Come for me. Don’t fight it." He begged her with soft whispers, finally leaving her breast to attack her mouth. “Fuck! I’m so close." He mumbled between desperate kisses as his hand abandoned her clit and returned to cup her ass.   
  
“Well, we better go back to the party then." Snyder offered as they continued walking down the hall.   
  
In the utility room, Spike pulled out of Buffy and suddenly rammed into her with all of his strength and that did it. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, trying to hold onto anything and screamed into his mouth as a powerful orgasm slammed into her.   
  
Spike’s own moans mixed with hers inside their joined mouths when he felt her inner muscles spasm around his cock, clamping down and milking him as he came with her.   
  
“What was that?" Mr. Snyder stopped dead in his tracks.   
  
“What?" Mrs. Chase and the major asked in unison.   
  
“That sound." The bald man insisted.   
  
“I don’t hear anything."   
  
“No. Just now. There was a-a… muffled sound… something." He insisted.   
  
“Snyder. I think you’re in need of a little more time away from the kids. You’re starting to hear things." Mayor Wilkins said as he continued to walk toward the party.   
  
“B-but…" Snyder stuttered after him.   
  
In the closet, Buffy and Spike slumped against the wall together, ending up in a puddle of numb limbs on the floor.   
  
“God! That was… God!" Buffy was the first to speak, between ragged pants.   
  
“Christ, I missed you so much, Summers!" Spike mumbled against her hair, his eyes closed as he inhaled her scent.   
  
“Summers? After what we just did, you’re back to calling me by my last name?" She teased.   
  
“You’re amazing. You’re…" He struggled to find the words, but every single one that came to mind seemed cheap and puny compared to what he was feeling at that moment.   
  
She smiled proudly, beads of sweat dripping down the side of her face as her fingers playfully twirled around his bleached curls.   
  
“I missed you so much." He finally said, after a moment of silence, looking up at her. “When I saw you at the house all I wanted to do was touch you…" He ran his finger over her shoulder and down her arm. “…feel you close to me, take in your scent…" He inhaled sharply against her cheek. “… kiss you." He finally ended his sentence brushing his lips over hers. “You look beautiful tonight."   
  
“Just tonight?" She smiled.   
  
The look on his face made her heart stop her a second, her stomach twist and her breath catch in her throat. The way he stared at her, the painful turmoil of emotions in his eyes frightened her for a split second. It was just so intense.   
  
“Always." He breathed. “There is no one else but you and if you don’t know that by now-“   
  
She cut him off by placing two fingers over his mouth.   
  
“I know." She whispered, then leaned in and placed a single kiss on his lips.   
  
They stared blindly at each other for a few moments, their fingers lazily tracing strange patterns over each other’s bodies.   
  
“We better go." Buffy broke the stillness. “My mom’s gonna be looking for me."   
  
Reluctantly, he nodded and was about to move when she exclaimed:   
  
“Oh, wait! I’ve got something for you." Without leaving his lap she reached for her small bag and opened it.   
  
She took out a clumsily wrapped present from inside and handed it to him.   
  
“What’s this for, pet?" He questioned with a frown as he took the gift.   
  
“Merry Christmas!"   
  
“I thought you had already given me a Christmas present." He said suggestively as he started to unwrap the paper.   
  
“This is extra."   
  
He opened it to reveal a pair of boxers with red hearts scattered over a dark blue background. A smile crept over his lips.   
  
“Like it?" She asked.   
  
“Love it." He replied bringing her in for another kiss.   
  
The music in the background came to a sudden halt to be replaced by a loud chorus:   
  
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…"   
  
The two teens remained sitting on the floor, gazing at each other in the dark closet, the only light coming from the shutters.   
  
“Four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!"   
  
“Happy new year, pet!"   
  
“Happy new year!" Buffy replied as his hand cupped her cheek and brought her in for a long kiss.   
  
  
  
Chapter 39   
  
“Miss Summers!" Mrs. Finch’s high-pitched voice bounced off the classroom walls.   
  
“Sorry." Buffy meekly apologized with her head bowed.   
  
“I will not warn you and Miss Rosenberg again." The history teacher threatened for the third time that day.   
  
For the next ten minutes the two teens managed to keep quiet but soon Willow was nudging the blonde haired girl that sat next to her   
  
“So, what happened next?" She asked with a sparkle in her eye, anxiously waiting for the rest of the story.   
  
“Well, Mrs. Chase came into the hall…" Buffy continued telling the events on New Year’s Eve, leaning towards Willow while occasionally throwing a quick glance to check on the teacher. “And then…"   
  
“Miss Summers!"   
  
Both girls jolted in their seats, sitting up straight and staring terrified at the grey-haired woman.   
  
‘I’m so busted.’ Buffy thought as she watched her history teacher adjust her glasses as she started reading the slip of paper she held in her hands.   
  
“Well, Miss Summers I guess you get to skip my boring lecture after all. The new guidance counsellor wants to see you." She explained glancing up from the paper to stare at girl in question.   
  
“New guidance counsellor?" Buffy frowned looking at Willow for some kind of explanation, but found none.   
  
“Come on Miss Summers! I don’t have all day." Mrs. Finch exclaimed turning to the black board.   
  
Awkwardly, Buffy picked up her things, quickly shoving them into her backpack before leaving the classroom.   
  
~+~   
  
With a powerful sigh and the same frown still marring her eyebrows she knocked on the door.   
  
“Come in." she heard someone answer.   
  
“You wanted to see me?" Buffy asked entering the room.   
  
Behind the desk sat a brow-haired woman, with pale skin and a nice plastic smile plastered on her red lips.   
  
“You must be Buffy." She spoke, standing up and shaking the teen’s hand over the desk. “I’m Halfrek Addams your new guidance counsellor." At Buffy’s frown she added with a sigh: “I know, Halfrek... bad huh? Let’s just say my parents had very… *original* ideas. Just call me Hallie!"   
  
“Hey!" Buffy greeted awkwardly as she took her seat, mimicking the motions of the woman standing across from her. “A-Am I in trouble?" She asked after a few moments of nerve-racking silence   
  
The only answer she got was a light giggle from the brown-haired woman.   
  
“No, you’re not in trouble. I’m just trying to meet all of you guys, since I’m new around here. You know, get to know you better, so I can help you out." She explained after a while.   
  
“Oh!" Buffy replied, lightly nodding as she allowed her body to relax into the chair.   
  
“So…" Hallie started as she looked at the file she held in her hands. “Buffy Anne Summers." She read, then, putting down the papers she looked up at the girl sitting in front of her. “What do you want out of life?"   
  
“E-Excuse me?" Buffy questioned a bit startled.   
  
“What do you want to do? What are you goals? Your passions? What drives you?" The woman continued to inquire, enthusiastically waving her hand in the air.   
  
Buffy’s eyes widened at the roll of questions thrown her way.   
  
“W-Well, I-I don’t really know yet." She stuttered.   
  
“You’re a senior, right?" Hallie asked picking up the file and burying her dark brown eyes in the papers once more.   
  
“Yes."   
  
“Well, you should have some idea of what you want, right?"   
  
“Not exactly." Buffy replied a bit nervous.   
  
There was a moment of paused in which the Hallie sighed audibly before putting down the file and closing it.   
  
“I see that you aren’t involved in any extra-curricular activities." She started. “No sports, no clubs, no groups."   
  
“Not really into those things." Buffy tried to explain raising the corner of her mouth as she shrugged and melted into the chair.   
  
“What are you into, Buffy?" Hallie asked with a pseudo-compassionate smile.   
  
“I don’t really know."   
  
“Have you ever wondered if the reason you don’t know what you like is because you have never really been involved in anything? You have never tried any sport, or any other sort of activity. Maybe, if you tried, you would find that you actually like some these things." Hallie argued.   
  
“Makes sense." Buffy spoke meekly.   
  
“It does, doesn’t it?" Another bubble-gum smile was thrown Buffy’s way. “What about…" Hallie stood up, picking up another large file from the stand next to her desk and started looking though it. “… Chess club?"   
  
“No!" Buffy immediately sat up straight in her chair, shaking her head. “I-I mean, I don’t know how to play."   
  
“Oh! Well, then… what about… Cheerleading?"   
  
Buffy frozen as suddenly the image of herself in one of Cordelia’s skimpy cheerleading outfits invaded her mind.   
  
“Nooo, thank you." She replied.   
  
“Why not?"   
  
“Just not a football fan. Don’t think I have what it takes." Buffy explained as she silently prayed for the guidance counsellor to change her mind.   
  
“Ok then…" She flipped through a couple more pages, suggesting a series of other activities that just made Buffy want to hurl. “I guess the only choice left then is theatre."   
  
“Theatre?"   
  
“Yes! Like drama class?"   
  
“I-I can’t act."   
  
“Nonsense. Of course you can!" Hallie said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she leaned on the desk, standing in front of Buffy.   
  
“B-But…"   
  
“Oh, it would be a perfect way of going through all that pent up teenage frustration… pouring your heart and soul into your role." Hallie continued clapping her hands enthusiastically.   
  
“I don’t have any pent up frustration." Buffy piped up, but the brown-haired woman would have none of it.   
  
“Of course you do! You’re a teenager!"   
  
“No, I-“   
  
“That settles it then! You’ll be auditioning for the next play. And you’re just in time actually. Auditions start today, after school. Isn’t that great?"   
  
“Yippie!" Buffy muttered to herself, shrinking into her seat.   
  
~+~   
  
“Hey, Wills, Xander." Buffy greeted dragging her feet to the table and dropping her tray on it.   
  
“That’s the way to face the New Year - wrinkled forehead and deep pensive sighs." Xander piped up sarcastically.   
  
“What happened? You in trouble?" Willow asked, clearly concerned.   
  
“No." Buffy replied shovelling her food around in her plate.   
  
“Heard you got a free trip to the guidance counsellor today." Xander said as he glanced over Buffy’s shoulder to find Spike coming towards them. “Hey, bleach-man!" He greeted as the boy took his seat, giving Buffy a quick peck before replying:   
  
“Hey, whelp." Turning to Willow he added with a slight nod: “Red." His attentions went back to the girl sitting next to him. “What’s wrong, luv?" He asked running, his hand over the small of her back.   
  
“She got called to the guidance office." Willow replied in a low voice.   
  
“Got the play too, huh?"   
  
Everyone at the table turned to see Oz setting his tray next to Willow’s, Cordelia trailing right behind him.   
  
“You got tagged too?" Buffy inquired with a little more life in her voice as she looked up from her plate for the first time since sitting down.   
  
“Yep. Not enough commitment to school life." Oz continued, after giving Willow a kiss.   
  
At that Buffy sighed audibly and returned her attentions to her food.   
  
“Would be nice if someone explained what’s going on." Xander exclaimed with a goofy grin.   
  
“Oz and Buffy are one of the few chosen ones to be in the new school play." Cordelia explained, her voice dripping with sarcasm.   
  
“You’re gonna be in a play?" Spike asked frowning at Buffy.   
  
“The new guidance counsellor said I don’t get involved in extra-curricular activities enough and that I should open my mind to new experiences, so I can discover my inner self and what I *need* to be happy in life." Buffy mumbled, dropping her fork and leaning back into her seat.   
  
“Same speech with me." Oz said.   
  
“You like theatre?" Spike questioned still a bit thrown.   
  
“No. But it was either that or cheerleading." Buffy sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.   
  
“And you chose theatre?"   
  
The blonde girl nodded, twisting her mouth in disgust.   
  
“I don’t know. I might have liked seeing you in those nasty, tight, little outfits." Spike said with a smirk, suggestively running his tongue over his teeth as he tilted his head towards her.   
  
“Yeah! Me in nasty, tight, *little* outfits cheering for *Angel*." Buffy replied with a plastic smile.   
  
At that Spike’s smug grin crumbled and was replaced with a deep frown.   
  
“I guess you’re right. I always thought you’d be great in… what play is it?"   
  
“Romeo and Juliet." Buffy spat.   
  
“Yeah. You’d make a great Juliet." He smiled before nuzzling against the crook of her neck.   
  
“I’m not auditioning for Juliet. I’m reading for the Nurse." Buffy explained.   
  
“Even better."   
  
“That’s what you get for having no school spirit." Cordelia said smugly. “I can’t wait to see Oz in those pathetic costumes. Thank God I actually have a social life around here. I don’t have to be subjected to that sort of public humiliation." Her chuckle was cut short when she felt a hand over her shoulder.   
  
“You’re Cordelia Chase?"   
  
The cheerleader turned to face a dark-haired woman standing next to her.   
  
“Yes."   
  
“Hi. I’m Hallie Addams. I’m your new guidance counsellor."   
  
Cordelia remained silent as she waited for the woman to continue.   
  
“Could you please come by my office after lunch? I really need to speak to you." And with a smile she left the room.   
  
In horror, Cordelia turned to see the gang looking back at her, a vengeful smirk on Buffy’s face.   
  
~+~   
  
“Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake." Cordelia mumbled unenthusiastically as she rolled her eyes.   
  
“Ow, you just managed to sound more monotonic than Oz!" Xander noted.   
  
“I hate this." Buffy piped up, plopping down on the stage, her legs dangling off it.   
  
“Come on girls, I’m here for support." The brown-haired boy exclaimed with a wide grin. “I’ll help you guys with the lines and all."   
  
“I already know all the lines by heart." Buffy mumbled, letting the papers drop to the floor.   
  
“Yeah, but not all of us developed a freakish crush on Leonardo DiCaprio when Romeo and Juliet came out." Cordy grumbled as she continued to go through the text. “Then have my lips the sin that they have took. God! Can this get any more complicated?" She finally let a frustrated sigh in defeat as she joined Buffy on the stage. “Where is this drama teacher anyway?"   
  
“Oh! Sorry I’m late!" A breathless voice was heard right before a heaving woman entered the room.   
  
“Miss Addams?" Cordy exclaimed.   
  
“Should have guessed." Buffy grumbled.   
  
“I got caught up talking to one of your classmates and guess what? He seems to have a secret passion for theatre just like all of you." She babbled with a huge grin as she adjusted her hair. “Meet our newest cast member!" She announced turning around but was surprised when she failed to find anyone behind her. Turning back to the group of students on stage she threw them a quick smile before leaving. “Just a second!"   
  
“Probably another one conveniently diagnosed as a social outcast." Oz finally spoke.   
  
“Why do I get the feeling that this whole problem about us not getting involved in school activities is directly connected with the fact that Miss Addams is directing a play in a school where everyone hates theatre?" Buffy asked rhetorically, narrowing her eyes.   
  
“I don’t know why *I* have to be here. I’m not socially handicapped like the rest of you guys!" Cordelia noted then, seeing the look on everyone’s face, she added: “What?"   
  
“Gotta love her total lack of a clue!" Xander said with a smile as Buffy rolled her eyes.   
  
“You probably got picked to draw in the crowd. Otherwise, I doubt it anyone would voluntarily come to see the impending disaster that is this play." The blonde explained.   
  
“There you are! No need to be shy!" Miss Addams said as she returned to the room, pulling someone with her.   
  
“Angel?" Buffy exclaimed as she saw the star quarterback being dragged onto the stage.   
  
“Guess we needed more star quality to draw in the crowd." Xander said under his breath.   
  
~+~   
  
Hallie Addams pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose as she listened to the pathetic dialogue being played out in front of her.   
  
“I take thee at thy word / Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized / Henceforth I never will be Romeo." Angel said dramatically waving his hands in the air.   
  
“What man art thou that thus be…be…" Cordy stuttered as she struggled with the word.   
  
“Bescreen’d." Oz whispered from behind the curtains.   
  
“Bescreen'd in night" Cordelia managed to blurt out, her eyes glancing up at the quarterback as she continued: “So stumblest on my counsel?"   
  
“By a name / I know not how to tell thee who I am / My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, / Because it is an enemy to thee; / Had I it written, I would tear the word." Angel overacted.   
  
“My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words / Of that tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound… um…" Cordy panicked as she tried to recall the next line. Throwing a glance at the sheet she held in her hands, she squinted to read: “Ah" She said triumphantly as she remembered: “Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"   
  
“God, Shakespeare must be rolling around in his grave." Miss Addams mumbled before taking a long breath: “That’s great, you guys! I think that’s enough." She said with a weak smile.   
  
“Are you sure? Cause I can-“   
  
Angel’s rambling was quickly cut short: “No-no! No need to go on. I got it! Great job!"   
  
The two teens quickly jumped off stage.   
  
“That wasn’t that bad." Cordy said with a wide smile.   
  
“No, not bad." Xander apparently agreed. “It was more bordering on refined torture.   
  
“Hey!" Cordy protested, swatting him across the chest.   
  
“Ouch! Honey, you gotta admit, you’re no Laurence Olivier." Xander insisted.   
  
“I’m not a man!" Cordy protested, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
After a few seconds the cheerleader mumbled:   
  
“Was it *that* horrible?"   
  
“Painful, *very* painful!"   
  
Cordy’s gaze went from her boyfriend to the shorter boy now sitting next to him, waiting for his opinion.   
  
“It was… um… unique?" Oz offered.   
  
“Ok, so it sucked." The brown-haired girl grumbled, plopping down on a chair and crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“Oh! Buffy’s on now!" Xander piped up as he glanced at the stage.   
  
The petite blonde seemed even more minuscule standing alone on the large wooden surface. She cleared her voice and squinted as the lights hit her eyes.   
  
“Um… I-I’m gonna read for the role of the Nurse."   
  
“Ok!" Miss Addams agreed with absolutely no hope in her voice as she kept massaging her temples. ‘This is going to be a disaster! Why did I choose to be a teacher? Why? Why!?" She asked herself over and over again. “What scene are you reading?"   
  
“Scene three from act one." Buffy piped up.   
  
“Ok…" She turned around and glanced at the audience and pointed: “You and… you!"   
  
“Me!" Xander and Oz asked in unison.   
  
“Yes. You read Juliet and you read Lady Capulet."   
  
“B-but I’m not auditioning." Xander noted nervously.   
  
“I just want you to read so she can say her lines." Hallie explained.   
  
“Oh, ok!"   
  
Miss Addams let out a sigh as Xander started reading Lady Capulet’s lines and Buffy replied. A minute into the scene her tired eyes shot open.   
  
“Wow, someone who actually *knows* the lines." She thought.   
  
“Even or odd, of all days in the year, / Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. / Susan and she--God rest all Christian souls!-- / Were of an age: well, Susan is with God; / She was too good for me: but, as I said, / On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;" Buffy spoke loud and clear as the movie she had watched a hundred times, during her early teens, played out in front of her eyes. “That shall she, marry; I remember it well. / 'Tis since the earthquake now-“   
  
“That’s enough." Miss Addams’ voice snapped Buffy out of her semi-trance. “How do you know all the lines?" She asked a bit curious.   
  
“I guess I watched the movie one too many times?" Buffy offered.   
  
Miss Addams didn’t say a word; merely nodded, signalling that Buffy could step down.   
  
~+~   
  
“Wow! That was amazing!" Xander exclaimed as they exited the theatre room.   
  
“You think so?" Buffy asked with a goofy grin on her face.   
  
“Absolutely!" Xander insisted, earning a deadly glare from his girlfriend.   
  
“Very Shakespearian." Oz noted.   
  
“Thanks guys. I don’t know what got into me. I just went up there and it just… clicked, you know?" Buffy spoke flushed.   
  
“I guess you’re a natural." Cordy huffed in defeat.   
  
“Thanks, Cordy. Do you guys know when the list of the cast is posted?"   
  
“I don’t know. Probably tomorrow." Xander offered, shrugging.   
  
~+~   
  
The day seemed to drag on forever and so did the night. Buffy practically jumped out of bed when the alarm clock finally rang.   
  
“Honey, you better- You’re up!" Mrs. Summers noted a bit surprised when she found her daughter fully dressed and ready to go.   
  
“Morning, mom! I gotta go!" She blew her mother a kiss and was out the door in a flash.   
  
~+~   
  
“Hey!" Buffy greeted with a wide grin, throwing her arms around Spike and giving her boyfriend a quick peck on the lips.   
  
“Hey, yourself!" He replied startled. “What’s with the peppiness?"   
  
“Hey, Willow, Xander!" She continued spreading her uncanny good mood.   
  
“Ok, who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?" Spike asked with a suspecting frown.   
  
“What? Can’t a person be in a good mood?" She questioned back, flashing him a smile as she walked down the hall.   
  
She came to a halt when she turned the corner and saw the small crowd gathering in front of large board.   
  
“The list of the cast for the play is posted today." Willow explained.   
  
“I thought you hated having to be in the play." Spike continued surprised.   
  
“Ha, but apparently our little Buffy here has a secret natural talent!" Xander replied, serving to further confuse the bleached teen.   
  
As the conversation continued Buffy remained frozen in place, her stare fixed on the board, while her heart slammed against her chest.   
  
“Well, pet? Aren’t you going to go check the list?" Spike finally asked, running his hand over her back. “I’m sure you got the part."   
  
“I-I’m going." She stuttered as she took a step towards it. She glanced at Willow, then Xander and finally her eyes landed on Spike who gave her a reassuring wink. With a long intake of breath, she made her way to the board.   
  
Her eyes scanned the list for a few seconds. Spike felt his heart sink when he saw the distraught look on her face.   
  
“Look, luv, it’s just a play…" He started.   
  
“I-I know." Buffy mumbled as she walked back to the gang.   
  
“So, who got the part?" Willow dared to ask.   
  
“Cordelia." Buffy muttered, her eyed never leaving the floor.   
  
“She’s playing the Nurse? Then who’s playing Juliet?" Willow questioned with a frown.   
  
But Buffy didn’t’ even care as her best friend turned to check the small piece of paper. She was snapped out of her pathetic pouting by the redhead’s loud, piercing scream.   
  
“Ahhhh! You-You got it!" She shouted pointing hysterically at Buffy.   
  
“Willow?" Xander whispered a bit concerned.   
  
“You got it! You-you, you’re Juliet!" She finally managed to explain.   
  
“What?" Buffy exclaimed.   
  
“You got the part of Juliet!" Willow repeated.   
  
“You’re kidding!" Buffy refused to believe, making her way through the small crowd to reach the board again. Her eyes widened when she read her name. “Ahhhh!" it was her turn to scream as she ran and threw her arms around Spike for a suffocating hug. “I-I got the leading role! Ohmygod, ohmygod!"   
  
“Ahhh!" Willow’s new yell snapped the two lovers apart.   
  
“Willow, you should really consider therapy to deal with your hysteria attacks." Xander mumbled as he rubbed his ear.   
  
“You’re in the play!" She shouted.   
  
“Huh? I didn’t audition." Xander explained.   
  
“Well, you’re playing Lady Capulet." Willow insisted, tapping the glass as the brown-haired teen came closer.   
  
“What? No! I don’t-I… I can’t act!" He stuttered. “And I’m playing a *woman*?"   
  
Buffy and Willow giggled at the desperation on the teen’s face. Spike, on the other hand, didn’t join in on the celebrations as his eyes scanned over the rest of the list. He felt his stomach twist painfully when he read: Romeo --> Angel O’Neill.   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 40   
  
“Oh, my God! I never thought I’d get this excited over a stupid school play but…" Buffy inhaled sharply as she walked along the sidewalk, her hand occasionally squeezing Spike’s. “… when I saw my name on that list, it just… clicked, you know?"   
  
Her eyes seemed brighter than ever, a certain twinkle in the corner gave new life to the green in them as she looked up at the boy walking next to her.   
  
“I guess… somehow, Miss. Addams was right. I really didn’t know what I wanted out of life. I mean, everyone’s been going through college applications and I just seemed to be going through the motions, you know? I’ll apply to Sunny U and then I’ll decide my major is going to be - that was basically as far as I thought about it… but now? I don’t know! It’s just so exciting! Finding something that I actually like and I really, really want to do and…" Her eyes drifted over the scenery around them and landed over Spike just in time to catch him concealing a yawn from her. “I’m babbling, aren’t I?" She asked with half a frown.   
  
“No, no you’re not." Spike denied vehemently.   
  
“Did I ever tell you that you’re the world’s worst liar?"   
  
“Sorry, luv. But I am glad you’ve found something you’re interested in." He replied, leaning in to place a light kiss over her forehead.   
  
She smiled and came to a full stop when she reached the front entrance to her house. Her hands wrapped around his waist as she brought him closer to her and she looked up at him with a smile over her lips.   
  
“Thanks." She whispered as she buried her face in his chest.   
  
“For what?" He asked with a frown.   
  
“For not freaking out over the play." She explained before looking up at him again.   
  
“Why should I freak out?" He pretended not to know.   
  
At that she tilted her head sideways and threw him a scolding look.   
  
“I know you saw the rest of the cast list."   
  
Without a witty comeback, he let his head drop in defeat.   
  
“A-are you really ok about this?" She asked nervously.   
  
“Well…" He trailed off, not bearing to look at her, but he was forced to when her small hand came to rest under his chin to guide his gaze to meet hers. She took a deep breath and paused for a second.   
  
“I-If you want me to quit the play… I will." She said without much conviction. He could tell that, deep inside, she was begging him not to force her to make that decision. And how could he? He had witnessed her excitement when she had read her name on that paper, the way she wouldn’t stop smiling, giggling over the silliest jokes. God, she had even laughed at Xander’s pathetic Sean Connery impersonation! He had never seen her this happy. No, he couldn’t do that to her. He had no right.   
  
“Don’t be silly." He tried to sound nonchalant about the subject. “Of course you’re not gonna quit." He paused for a second and then added with a more serious tone: “I want you to be happy and, if this makes you happy, I am 100% ok with it."   
  
“Are you sure?"   
  
There it was - the sparkle - it was right back in her eyes.   
  
“I’m fine, Buffy." He reassured her.   
  
In an instant, her arms were wrapped around his neck, her mouth easily finding its way to meet his for a long kiss. Her head rested against his when their lips finally parted; a mischievous smile dancing over them.   
  
“My mom’s not going to be home for another two hours." She announced suggestively as her fingers lingered over the lapels of his duster, tugging at them as she walked backwards towards the house.   
  
“Oh, really?" He questioned, raising one scarred eyebrow as he walked up the steps of the front porch.   
  
~+~   
  
One slender hand hovered over the lines on the page, while the other played with long, golden threads.   
  
“Hey…"   
  
Buffy was snapped out of her daze by the familiar voice. With a smile on her lips she looked up to find him standing next to her.   
  
“Hey, Spike." She replied, scooting over and patting the spot on the bench next to her as her eyes returned to the papers she held in her hands.   
  
“What are you doing?"   
  
“Just going over a few lines." She explained, never looking up at the person sitting next to her.   
  
“I thought you knew those by heart."   
  
“I-I do. I just want to make sure before the first rehearsal." She continued, staring at the page, a deep frown over her eyebrows.   
  
He simply nodded and let his eyes drift over the football field that spread out before them.   
  
“It’s today, right? After school?" He asked.   
  
“Uh-huh." She mumbled. There was a beat, as she pondered whether or not to invite him to the rehearsal. She had done it every time and every time he had come up with some lame excuse. She shook her head and returned her attentions to the paper.   
  
They sat in silence until he moved to stand.   
  
“Well, I’ll be off then." He said, standing next to her, his gaze inspecting her, waiting for her to glance up at him, but she never did.   
  
“Oh, ok..." She replied, still too absorbed in her reading.   
  
“Bye." He waited a moment until she realised he was still there.   
  
She was brought back to reality when she felt soft fingers thread though her dishevelled hair. She shook her head and looked up.   
  
“Don’t I get a kiss?" He asked with a half smile.   
  
She returned the grin as he leaned down and placed a quick peck over her lips.   
  
“Bye." He repeated.   
  
“Bye." She replied, her attention quickly returning to the sheets she held.   
  
~+~   
  
“Whelp!" Spike shouted as he made his way through the crowd of teens that filled the corridor.   
  
“Bleach-man!" Xander greeted back as the platinum blond reached him.   
  
“What you doing?"   
  
“Getting ready for torture." Was Xander’s unenthusiastic reply.   
  
“Come again?"   
  
“Play rehearsal." He explained.   
  
“Oh… I guess you’re not up for some football after school then."   
  
“Sorry." Xander sighed, rolling his eyes.   
  
Noticing the strange look on his friend’s face he added:   
  
“I take it you’re not too happy about this whole play thing, huh?" The brown-haired teen asked.   
  
“Of course I am." He lied through his teeth. “Makes Buffy happy, makes me happy."   
  
“Right…" Xander said with a hint of sarcasm. “Cause seeing your girlfriend stage-macking with her ex is so fun."   
  
“Don’t push me, whelp." Spike grumbled as he tried to erase the mental picture that suddenly popped into his head.   
  
“Look, I’m sorry. I just think you should talk to Buffy about this. It’s been two weeks and you two haven’t said a word about it." Xander noted.   
  
“We talked." Spike argued.   
  
“Really?" Xander asked, rolling his eyes once more.   
  
“She asked if I was ok with it and I-“   
  
“Lied about it." Xander cut in.   
  
“Hey!"   
  
“I’m just saying… I’m just thrilled that Cordy is the worst actress in the world cause I don’t know if I could handle seeing her kiss Angel." Xander explained.   
  
“I’m ok with it." Spike insisted as the anger slowly boiled up in him.   
  
“Are you sure?"   
  
“I’m fine, so just bugger off!" Spike growled, storming away.   
  
~+~   
  
“Hey, Spike!" Willow greeted with a smile as she looked up from her plate to see the bleached teen take a seat in front of her.   
  
“Hey, Red." He replied, picking up his fork and knife. “Where’s Buffy?" He asked.   
  
“She’s rehearsing for the play." Willow explained digging through her plate to find something remotely eatable. Her face crunched up in disgust.   
  
“I thought they only had rehearsals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays." Spike questioned with a frown.   
  
“Miss Addams says they’re getting closer to the opening and that they have a lot of work to do."   
  
“Oh…" He said trailing off before adding: “So! Why aren’t you there? You know? Standing by your man?"   
  
“I thought I’d take a bit of a break from the whole Shakespeare experience." Seeing Spike’s narrowed eyes she admitted: “It’s just too painful to see Cordelia ‘act’."   
  
“Yeah! Heard it was pretty bad." He chuckled when he saw Willow’s facial muscled twitch at the memories.   
  
“It’s bad. *Very* bad!" She confirmed. There was a moment of pause as she wondered whether or not to approach the subject. In the end, she opted for the former: “Why don’t you go check it out for yourself? I-I mean, you could go to one of the rehearsals. Miss Addams will probably force you to handle stage work, b-but other than that she’s pretty cool about it." Willow explained nervously.   
  
“Nah, don’t really want to see you yanks murder some of the best work in English literature ever. I’ve got Hollywood movies for that." He joked, but the uneasiness was clear in his voice.   
  
Willow gave him a weak smile before setting her fork down to look up at the boy sitting across the table from her.   
  
“She really wants you to be there, you know?"   
  
He didn’t say a word, his gaze buried in the unrecognizable pulp on his plate.   
  
“She said so. You should go and see her. Maybe you’ll realise it’s not that bad."   
  
“Right…" He mumbled sarcastically before finally looking up at the redhead.   
  
“If you hurry you’ll still catch the last few minutes." She insisted.   
  
Without a word he stood up and started to head out but stopped in his tracks to glance back and whisper:   
  
“Thanks, red."   
  
“You’re welcome." She replied to his retreating form.   
  
~+~   
  
“He jests at scars that never felt a wound. / But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and…"   
  
Angel’s annoying, histrionic voice seemed to fade away as he saw her walk out on stage. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, high on the back of her head, a few unruly threads escaping to frame her face. She leaned on the balcony, staring off into the distance while, below, the quarterback went about saying his lines.   
  
“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name; / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I'll no longer be a Capulet."   
  
Spike stared in awe. She was actually good at it. He ignored the exaggerated replies that came from the brown-haired teen; his gaze fixed on her as she continued to speak. The words flowed freely, as if she had just thought of them; sincere longing flooded her eyes, giving them a glassy appearance. God, she was beautiful!   
  
He lingered in the shadows, watching in trance as she now walked about on stage, the beefy quarterback trailing behind her. He felt his stomach turn in protest, but he ignored it as he focussed on the small figure now giggling on stage. Maybe Willow was right. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he had imagined it. As the thoughts hurried through his mind he found himself relaxing, leaning against the wall. Maybe he had overreacted, it-   
  
He felt his entire body freeze as the suddenly, moment he had dreaded the most was played out in front of him. He watched, in silence, as Angel’s hands came to rest on her waist. A blank, idiotic expression settled on his face, a passionate one on Buffy’s as he leaned in and captured her lips between his.   
  
Then, all he saw was red. Anger boiled in his veins, making his heart violently hammer against his chest, the sweat cursed down the sides of his face, his mouth instantly becoming dry, his vision blurred. He was snapped out of his rage by the feel of a hand resting on his shoulder.   
  
“Hey, man." Oz’s monotonic voice reached his ears.   
  
Spike shook his head and glanced down at the shorter teen. He didn’t say a word.   
  
“You, ok?"   
  
Miss Addams’ screeching voice, accompanied by her enthusiastic applause, interrupted the conversation.   
  
“Wonderful! You were amazing! Bravo!"   
  
The two teens glanced at the stage where Buffy and Angel were turning bright red under the praise. Turning his gaze back to Oz, Spike practically growled between clenched teeth before storming away:   
  
“I’m fine!"   
  
~+~   
  
“Hello? Giles? Hi, is Spike there?" Buffy asked, twirling her index finger around the plastic cord of the phone.   
  
“No, he hasn’t come home yet." Was the reply from the other end. “Do you want to leave a message?"   
  
“Just tell him that I called, ok? Thanks. Bye Giles."   
  
She let the receiver fall back into place and lay back on the bed. Oz had told her about Spike being there during the rehearsal. She raced through the halls in the hopes of finding him, but he was gone. She had looked for him during the rest of the day, but there was no sign of him. Calling Giles was the first thing she had done when came home and apparently he was still MIA.   
  
She instantly stood up straight when she heard the front doorbell ring. She jogged down the stairs, her heart racing as she swung the door wide open.   
  
“God, I thought you- Mom!“   
  
“Surprised to see me?" Mrs. Summers asked as she handed her daughter a few of the grocery bags that she carried.   
  
“No… It’s… um. Why’d you ring the doorbell?" Buffy tried to mask the disappointment in her voice as she followed her mother into the kitchen.   
  
“I forgot my keys." She explained, setting the bags on the counter. “How was rehearsal?"   
  
“It was fine." Buffy replied with little enthusiasm as started helping Joyce take out the groceries.   
  
“Just fine?" Mrs. Summers frowned. “Usually you’re so psyched about the whole thing and now it was just fine? What happened?"   
  
“Nothing." Buffy shrugged.   
  
Mrs. Summers let out a deep sigh and paused for a second, looking at her daughter.   
  
“Buffy… What’s wrong?"   
  
The blonde teen stared down at the counter. God, she wished she could tell her mom about this!   
  
“It’s nothing. I’m just tired, I guess." She lied.   
  
“Are you sure?" Joyce insisted, still not convinced.   
  
“We’ve just been rehearsing for so long, I’m just tired." Buffy maintained.   
  
“If you say so." Mrs. Summers decided to drop the subject. She knew her daughter well enough to know when to push a subject. This wasn’t one of those times.   
  
“I’m going to take a shower, ok?"   
  
“Ok, honey."   
  
Without another word, Buffy made her way upstairs.   
  
~+~   
  
With a racing heart she walked down the hall, her gaze bouncing off the familiar faces she encountered on her way to class as she searched for him. She felt a pang when she saw him, standing by his locker, his head resting on the metallic door.   
  
“Hey." She greeted shyly, hugging her books tightly.   
  
“Hey." He replied meekly as he turned to look at her.   
  
There was a moment of silence between them as they looked at each other; Buffy was the one to break it.   
  
“Um… Oz told me you went to the rehearsal yesterday." She started, her gaze suddenly dropping to the floor.   
  
“He did, huh?"   
  
She nodded before glancing up at him.   
  
“Look, I-“   
  
“I’m sorry."   
  
Buffy frowned. That was definitely not what she was expecting to hear.   
  
“For not calling you back yesterday. My da told me you called."   
  
She remained in silence, still a bit shocked. He tilted his head, leaning on the row of lockers as he stared down at her.   
  
“It’s just that… seeing you… and…" He swallowed hard as he tried to push back the anger that threatened to resurface. “…him and… Everything turned red, you know?"   
  
She nodded once more.   
  
“I just knew that if I talked to you last night I would have ended up saying something stupid." He explained.   
  
There was a beat between them as they stood in silence once more.   
  
“A-are you still angry?" She managed to ask.   
  
“A bit." He admitted. “Most of it is kinda gone now."   
  
Sharp ringing sounded around them and instantly the hoard of teens began to move in the hall.   
  
“You wanna talk about it?" She questioned.   
  
“After class? Meet you by the bleachers?" He suggested.   
  
“That’d be good." She replied with a weak smile before awkwardly turning around to leave.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy anxiously tapped her pencil on the table, her eyes glued to the clock over the blackboard. She let out a sharp sigh of relief when the bell finally rang. In a heartbeat, she was out of the classroom and heading down the halls. She quickly made her way through the labyrinth of corridors until she found the door that lead to the football field.   
  
She pressed the palms of her hands against her jeans as she sat down and patiently waited for him to arrive. Glancing at her wristwatch she nervously twirled the small pencil in her hands. The tension in her shoulders seemed to build up when she finally saw him coming towards her.   
  
“Hey!"   
  
“Hey"   
  
“So…" he started.   
  
“So…" She repeated.   
  
“There actually is kissing in the play." He suddenly blurted out when the silence threatened to settle between them again.   
  
She swallowed hard; she hadn’t expected for him to be so blunt about it.   
  
“It’s Romeo and Juliet." She stated the obvious. “It’s kinda required."   
  
“Yeah… I guess." He muttered; his elbows rested on his knees as he played with an unlit cigarette between his hands; his gaze buried in his combat boots. “It was just kinda of a shock; the whole lip locking thing." He explained.   
  
“D-do you want me to quit?" She dared to ask after a beat.   
  
He paused, taking his time as he tried to gather his thoughts.   
  
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hate the idea of you and Peaches kissing… but… No, I don’t want you to quit." He finally admitted.   
  
His stomach turned when he felt her relax next to him.   
  
“You love this, and I’d be a complete pillock if I tried to take that away from you." He continued, finally turning his head sideways to look at her; a ghost of a smile over his lips.   
  
She smiled back at him, her hand reaching out to stroke his wild locks into place. He nuzzled against her touch, brushing his lips against the palm of her hand. Wrapping his fingers around her wrist he pulled her closer to him, his mouth finding hers for a soft kiss.   
  
“I guess I’ll just have to get used to the idea, huh?" He mumbled.   
  
“I’m sorry." She said sincerely.   
  
“There is nothing to be sorry about." He replied, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her head to rest on his chest. They remained embraced for a few seconds, his fingers unconsciously playing with her hair.   
  
“Say, how long till this thing’s over?" He finally asked.   
  
“Four weeks."   
  
He let out a small growl.   
  
“I’ll talk to Miss Addams to see if she can cut down on kissage." Buffy offered looking up at him.   
  
“You do that or Romeo is going to end up having to a shining new black eye for the premier." Spike warned.   
  
At that Buffy chuckled.   
  
“I’m serious!" He insisted with a grave tone.   
  
“I know you are. I’m surprised you didn’t jump on stage and start pummelling Angel right then and there."   
  
“It’s what I wanted to do." He admitted.   
  
“Thanks. For not going all psycho on me."   
  
“You’re welcome."   
  
She leaned down to rest her head on his chest once more before she remembered.   
  
“By the way, what’d you do afterwards?" She asked.   
  
She felt him freeze under her. With a frown, she looked up at him.   
  
“Spike?"   
  
“Um… I-I kinda gotta tell you something." He stuttered awkwardly.   
  
“Spike… What did you do?" She questioned, a hint of worry evident on her face as she raised her left eyebrow high on her forehead.   
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 41   
  
“YOU WHAT?" Buffy shouted as she stood up and started pacing around.   
  
“Look, I’m sorry! I was fuming and I just wanted to get back at you. I’m sorry." He tried to excuse himself.   
  
“Wanted to get back at me? For what?"   
  
“I was angry." He mumbled, dropping his gaze to the floor.   
  
“So you asked Drusilla to be you lab partner in Bio?!" Buffy inquired coming to a halt.   
  
Spike tilted his head apologetically and let his lower lip jut out as she began walking in small circles again.   
  
“It’s not that big of a deal. We’re gonna work together on some silly experiment…" He tried to reason, then added in a low voice: “Not like we’re gonna be lip-locking or anything."   
  
“What?" She asked stopping in front of him, her hand resting on her hips.   
  
“Nothing."   
  
“No! You’re still not over this whole kissing thing. Are you?" She demanded.   
  
“Well, what am I supposed to do? Go all ‘yippity-do-da, my girlfriend is smooching with her ponce of an ex’?" He asked raising his voice.   
  
“Do you think I’m happy about this? Do you think I wanna kiss Angel?" She questioned.   
  
Spike didn’t answer, mumbling something under his breath instead as his stare returned to the cement under his feet and the pout was back on his lips.   
  
“Well?" She insisted.   
  
“No…" His voice was a mere whisper.   
  
Buffy sighed audibly, letting her arms fall at her sides as she sat back down next to him. They stayed in silence for a while until Spike spoke up:   
  
“Do you think Miss Addams would be willing to switch Romeos?"   
  
At that Buffy frowned:   
  
“You’re offering to be in the play?"   
  
“Maybe."   
  
A soft smile spread over Buffy’s lips.   
  
“That’s sweet."   
  
“More like terrifying. I hate acting. Always had the worst stage fright." At Buffy’s inquiring glance he added: “Third grade. Played a raisin in a school play."   
  
“A raisin?"   
  
“It was sort of a fruit-play. Don’t ask." He exhaled and continued: “Anyway, everything was fine. Rehearsal an’ all. I was bloody brilliant. Well, at least until the actually *day* of the play, when I walked out on stage and completely froze." He shuddered a bit at the memory.   
  
“You played a raisin?"   
  
“Yes, we’ve covered that already. Fruit-play, remember?" He grumbled.   
  
“I’m just trying to picture you in a raisin suit. You must have looked adorable." She smiled.   
  
“Don’t remind me." He mumbled. “Anyway, do you think Miss Addams would let me try out for the part?"   
  
“Doubt it." She replied, a dreamy look taking over her eyes as she stared at him.   
  
“Why?"   
  
“She needs Angel’s star-pull."   
  
“Star-pull?"   
  
“You know, popular guy draws in the crowd for the play. Why do you think Cordy’s even in the play? Have you any idea just how bad she is?" Buffy explained.   
  
“I’ve heard. Even though, by what I’ve seen, Peaches isn’t that good either. He plays Shakespeare just as well as a Mexican soap opera actor." Spike shuddered once more.   
  
“I know. Sometimes it’s actually hard to focus on my lines. What, with trying to dodge those exaggerated arm swings and all. It’s tough." Buffy said, erratically moving her arms in the air and getting a chuckle from Spike.   
  
After a few seconds their combined laughs ceased and silence returned. A peaceful stillness engulfed them as Spike’s arm came to wrap around Buffy’s waist bringing her closer to him. They stayed like that for a long while, until the sharp ringing of the school bell echoed through the football field.   
  
“We better go." Buffy was the first to speak when neither of them moved.   
  
Spike simply nodded as the silence settled between them again.   
  
“Are we ok?" Spike finally spoke when Buffy stood up.   
  
“You’re still not off the hook on the new lab partner thing." She grumbled as she headed towards the school building with Spike trailing behind her. “Owe me a whole lot of grovelling for that one." She warned him, poking a menacing finger into his chest as he held the door open to her.   
  
“Grovelling?" Spike asked raising his scarred eyebrow.   
  
“Lots and lots of grovelling. Lots of making up to be done." She assured him.   
  
“I wonder how I can do that." He murmured, wrapping his arm around her waist when they came to a stop.   
  
“Oh, I’ve got a couple of ideas." She mumbled suggestively as her finger traced the lapels of his duster.   
  
“Mr. Giles? Care to join us?" Mr. Grey’s low voice snapped the two out of their embrace, leaving Buffy nervously brushing her hair back into place while Spike stumbled into the classroom. “Miss Summers I take it you have somewhere else to be?"   
  
“Y-yes, of course!" She stuttered as she clumsily turned around, running straight into someone. “I-I’m s-sorry." She stammered before looking up to find Dru staring back at her.   
  
“Miss Garden, you’re late." Mr. Grey noted looking at his watch.   
  
The two teens eyed each other for a few moments longer before the dark-haired girl turned in her heels and entered the room.   
  
~+~   
  
She smiled when she saw the redhead walking up to her, setting her tray on the table and taking her seat around the table.   
  
“Hey, Will." Buffy greeted.   
  
“Hey. Have you talked to him?" Willow asked taking her fork into her hand.   
  
“Yeah."   
  
“And?" A hint of worry filtered into her voice.   
  
“Everything’s fine, Willow." Buffy assured her best friend.   
  
“Oh, thank God!" The other teen sighed in relief. “So, no more jealousy fits?"   
  
“I don’t think so." She replied as her gaze looked over her best friend’s shoulder to scan the cafeteria. “At least none coming from him."   
  
“Huh?"   
  
“Guess who’s Spike’s new lab partner?" Buffy questioned as she twisted her mouth in disgust.   
  
Willow looked up at her with a puzzled look.   
  
“Dru." The blonde supplied.   
  
“Ouch!"   
  
“Yeah, ouch. And guess whose bright idea it was." After a beat Buffy answered: “Spike. He asked her to be his lab partner."   
  
“Double ouch!" Willow said, her eyebrows coming together for a sympathetic frown.   
  
“I know."   
  
“Are you angry?"   
  
“I was. Now I’ve kinda adjusted to the idea." Buffy sighed playing around with her food. “He was a bit mad and all…"   
  
“You’re not too happy about it, are you?" Willow asked recognizing the look on her friend’s face.   
  
“No, I’m not!" Buffy immediately admitted letting her shoulders relax. “I hate it!" She grinded her teeth for a second. “But if I’m asking him to trust me, I should be able to trust him too, right?"   
  
“Plus, lab reports usually don’t involve as much touching as playing Romeo and Juliet." Willow couldn’t help but point out.   
  
“You’re right." Buffy sighed once more. “But lab reports involve a lot of unsupervised alone time with your partner." She mumbled in a low voice, but loud enough that Willow could still catch it.   
  
“And you don’t trust Spike being alone with Dru?"   
  
Buffy pondered the question for a while and finally breathed:   
  
“I trust him." She reluctantly admitted before adding with a disgusted tone: “It’s skanky Goth-Girl that I don’t trust. If she so much as tries to touch him I’ll…" She held the knife tightly in her hands, squeezing the handle with all her might. “I-I’ll…" Struggling with the words she finally settled for: “I’ll cut any body part of hers that comes into contact with him."   
  
“It’s nice to see you have this whole anger issue under control." Willow replied sarcastically, earning a smile from Buffy who finally released the knife from her clutches.   
  
“I’m not that psychotic about it. I-I’m just…"   
  
“Jealous?" Willow offered.   
  
“Afraid." Buffy corrected, causing the teen sitting opposite her to frown.   
  
“Afraid of what?"   
  
“I-I don’t know."   
  
The lines over Willow’s brow got deeper, making it obvious that she didn’t believe that last reply.   
  
Buffy dropped her fork to press her fingers against her temples before suddenly blurting out: “Of Spike spending too much time with her and suddenly realising he’s not actually over her?"   
  
“What?! Why do you think that would happen?"   
  
“Come on, Willow… Spike’s been head over heels for that-that… *thing* ever since I can remember. It was actually scary."   
  
“Yeah, but it’s over now. He’s with you. I mean, he had the choice to pick Dru when she was all over him before Christmas and he didn’t. He chose you." Willow pointed out.   
  
Buffy stopped massaging her head for a second to look up at her friend.   
  
“I guess you’re right." She paused and then rephrased more emphatically. “You’re right! I’m stupid. This is all stupid. He chose me, he likes me. No matter what that stupid vampire-wannabe does." She paused, taking in a deep breath as if she was trying to convince herself, and repeated: “You’re right!"   
  
“Who’s right?"   
  
Spike’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she turned around to see the bleached teen taking a seat next to her.   
  
“Hey!" She greeted with a smile as she stretched up to give him a quick kiss on the lips.   
  
“So, who’s right about what?" He questioned again.   
  
“Nothing. Just girl talk." Buffy replied.   
  
Spike narrowed his eyes at her for a moment but, when he realised there was no way she was going to answer his question he simply shrugged and resigned himself to the gruelling task of fishing out the actual pieces of food from the pasty mush on his plate.   
  
“Hey guys!" Xander’s peppy voice reached them. “How are you all doing?"   
  
A general frown took over the three teens sitting around the table.   
  
“What?" The brown-haired teen asked defensively.   
  
“You’re too cheery, mate. You’re scaring us." Spike explained.   
  
“That’s because I come baring good news, *mate*." Xander said with a goofy grin. The Brit sitting across from him cringed at his friend’s pathetic attempt at a British accent.   
  
“What’s the good news?" Willow inquired.   
  
“You’ll never believe it-“   
  
“Hey, guys." Oz greeted, taking his place next to his girlfriend. “Have you heard? Miss Addams called in sick, so rehearsals are cancelled for the rest of the week." He quickly announced.   
  
“Oh, man, I was the good news barer!" Xander objected dropping his fork in sign of protest.   
  
Spike ignored his pout, leaning in to whisper in Buffy’s ear:   
  
“That means you’re going home early today, right? Before your mom gets home?"   
  
Buffy couldn’t help but giggle as the teen nuzzled into the nape of her neck.   
  
“Hey, hey! Stop it, will you? The R-rated scenes are making me nauseous and I’m already having a bad enough day as it is." Cordy grumbled as she plopped down on her seat.   
  
“Cordelia, nice to see you in your usual good mood." Buffy greeted sarcastically.   
  
“Can you believe it? The rehearsals were cancelled for the rest of the week." She continued making no notice of the blonde’s comment.   
  
“Yeah, Oz just told us." Willow informed her.   
  
Xander saw his opportunity to protest once more and mumbled:   
  
“I was the one who was supposed to tell the good news."   
  
“Good news?!" The cheerleader exclaimed. “I was just getting the hang of the whole thing. Now, with this unscheduled delay I’ll have to start from scratch." She growled, shoving her tray away without having even touched her plate. “And I was getting so good at it."   
  
The entire group choked collectively.   
  
“What?" She asked semi-outraged.   
  
“Nothing, honey! You’re great." Xander reassured, giving her a quick kiss on the lips while the others bit back a chuckle.   
  
~+~   
  
“Finally! You took forever!" Buffy breathed, wrapping her arms around Spike’s neck as he reached her.   
  
“Sorry. I had to meet Mrs. Kennedy."   
  
“More poems?" Buffy asked with a mischievous grin.   
  
“Yes." Spike answered, opening the car door for her.   
  
She waited for him to enter the vehicle before continuing:   
  
“Any chance of you showing them to me?"   
  
“Buffy, I’ve told you, I’ll show them to you when they’re ready." Spike explained, turning the key in the ignition. He threw a glance in her direction to see her pout. “What?"   
  
“It’s been almost a month and you haven’t shown me anything." She mumbled.   
  
“I’ll show them to you when they’re ready. Not now. They’re terrible now." He insisted.   
  
“I don’t care. I think it’s sexy." She purred as she let her fingers dance over his denim covered thigh.   
  
Buffy’s eyes turned brighter for a second when she saw him close his lids, keeping them that way for a second and taking a deep breath before turning his gaze back to the road. She felt her stomach twist in that wonderful way. She just loved the see the effect her mere touch had on him. He grinded his teeth together when her hand came dangerously close to his lap.   
  
“Buffy… I-I have to drive." He said in a low voice, his eyes glassy; his jaw muscles contracting and emphasising his chiselled features.   
  
“So drive…" She whispered as she bit her lower lip.   
  
“I-I can’t concentrate with y-“ He choked back the word when her fingers dove between his legs. “…With you doing that."   
  
“Doing what?" She asked pressing against the growing bulge.   
  
She watched, amazed, as he tightened his grip on the wheel; his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard. She was snapped out of her daze when she was jerked back in her seat as his foot pressed on the gas.   
  
“What are you doing?" She questioned, her ministrations coming to a halt as the vehicle gained speed.   
  
“Trying to get you home faster." He replied, giving her a leer and a quick glance before looking back at the road.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy kicked the front door closed as her hands were too occupied tugging at Spike’s shirt. She was trapped between his arms, their mouth practically fused together as they blindly stumbled up the stairs. Tripping on one of the steps, the couple tumbled to the stairs. Spike hissed into her mouth when his back hit the hard wood, but the pain soon faded away when he felt her straddling, her groin rubbing against his.   
  
“Ah…" He breathed, tearing his mouth away from hers for a second, before attacking it again.   
  
His teeth captured her lower lip, lightly biting at it as her hand finally managed to dive under his clothes to explore his chest.   
  
A surprised sound escaped her when she suddenly found herself being lifted up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he started climbing up the stairs once again. Eventually, after some struggling, they found their way into her room as the door slammed shut behind them. Buffy felt the air being knocked out of her when the two tumbled onto the bed.   
  
“Mmh-mmh…" she mumbled into his mouth, her hand erratically tugging at the annoying fabric of his shirt.   
  
She smiled contentedly when it was off and started working on the black fabric that remained covering his chest. This one proved to an easier task and soon the offending t-shirt was discarded on the floor along with her sweater. “My sweater? When did I take off my sweater off?" Buffy’s confused brain wondered, but the question was soon erased from her hazy mind when she felt Spike’s lips around her nipple. “I guess my bra is off too." She was able to rationalize.   
  
She arched into his warm mouth, her fingers diving for the buttons of his denims and undoing them. Spike mimicked her actions and soon two pairs of jeans decorated her bedroom floor.   
  
Buffy blindly followed Spike when he slowly pulled away and the two ended up sitting on the bed, his tongue still tracing the contours of one erect nipple. She was too engulfed in the sensation to understand what he was doing but sighed contently when she found herself under the covers, Spike’s warm body covering hers.   
  
“Good idea. It was getting cold." She murmured.   
  
She thought she heard a muffled ‘You’re welcome’, but it was lost to her ears when his tongue traced a snake-like path down her belly to the edge of her panties. She felt him hook his finger under the waistband of the soft material and slowly slid it down her legs.   
  
Trembling hands found their way through his bleached locks as his mouth brushed over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, coming close to her centre. Buffy gasped and her fingers fisted into his hair when his tongue slowly traced the contours of her outer folds. She felt him smile against her skin and she scolded herself for not being able to hide the effect he had on her.   
  
He tasted her, probing and searched until he found the growing nubbin of flesh he had been looking for and took it into his mouth. Buffy arched her back off the mattress, one hand abandoning his head to blindly search for something to grab a hold of, while the other remained buried in his locks. She couldn’t suppress the mewls that escaped her lips when she felt his tongue twist around her clit. ‘God, how does he do that?’ She wondered.   
  
“How…Oh, God!" Her question was cut short when she felt his finger exploring her opening before slowly sliding in.   
  
It turned upwards, finding that perfect spot inside of her and making her gasp. She bit her lower lip, trying hard to keep from screaming as he sluggishly pushed in and out of her, slowly at first but quickly speeding up the pace. Her eyes snapped open when she felt her inner walls being stretched as he added a second finger.   
  
“Spike! Oh-“ Just when she thought this couldn’t get any better, his teeth scrapped against her nub sending a powerful shock through her entire body. She was so close; he knew he just needed to – He gasped when she suddenly tugged at his locks, forcing his mouth away from her.   
  
He froze, his fingers immediately slipping out of her core.   
  
“Did I do something wrong? Are you ok? I-“ He wasn’t able to finish his sentence as she hurled him up her body until he was hovering over her.   
  
“I want you." She demanded. Her legs quickly wrapped around him.   
  
“Buffy… Christ!" He cursed when she pushed her hips upwards and within a second he found himself buried inside of her.   
  
She never gave him a moment to adjust, starting to gyrate her hips at the same time as she moved up and down, pulling him in and pushing him out of her.   
  
“Fuck, wait…" He breathed, his eyes closing as he searched for control, but she didn’t seem to be listening. “Buffy, wait… I…" He mumbled incoherently. God, he loved it when she took charge and that only served to get him even more worked up. And that wasn’t good. Well, it was good, but not if he intended for this to last more than thirty seconds.   
  
She attacked his earlobe, causing his to clench his teeth and roll his eyes back in their sockets. In a brief moment of clarity his hand was able to find her hips and pin them to mattress, successfully stilling her motions and slipping out of her heat.   
  
“Wait…" He whispered.   
  
He could feel her pouting against his ear and he turned to look down at her.   
  
“How about we take it slow?" He asked with a cocky grin before lowering himself to nibble on her lower lip.   
  
“Slow is good too…" she mumbled, smiling into the kiss.   
  
Instinctively, she found herself holding her breath when he slipped inside of her once again. He moved in slow, long strokes, pulling and pushing. His lips mimicking the same torturous rhythm and he took his time, exploring and searching every inch of her mouth with languorous sweeps of his tongue.   
  
She moaned into his kiss when she felt the heat build inside of her. She tried to push back the growing orgasm, this felt so good, so perfect; she just didn’t want it to end.   
  
“Ah..." She mewled when his hand crept between their bodies to find one perfectly shaped breast. His thumb flickered over small pebbled of hard flesh he found there and that seemed to dig her in. “Mmm-mmm." Her hard moan pushed into his mouth as the waves of an overwhelming orgasm washed over her entire body, causing it to contour and twist in delight.   
  
Spike continued to thrust in and out of her, drawing her pleasure out until he found himself following after her.   
  
When it was over, he finally tore his lips away from hers, his forehead slipping to rest on the pillow beside her head.   
  
“Buffy, I lo-“   
  
“I don’t know! Maybe Buffy has some in her room.“ A chirpy voice reached their ears as the doorknob turned and the door was opened to reveal a giggling Mrs. Summers. She came to a complete halt when she saw the teen couple in bed, the arms wrapped around her waist stilled too as Giles’ head peeked out from the nape of the older woman’s neck. “Buffy?"   
  
“Mom!"   
  
“William?"   
  
“Da!"   
  
  
  
Author’s Note: *Drum roll*!!! The parents finally find out! AHHH! I know, I know awful cliffhanger! I’m sorry! Really, really sorry! I promise to be quick with the next chappie!   
  
Chapter 42   
  
“B-Buffy?" Mrs. Summers repeated; her eyes widening in shock.   
  
The four remained frozen in place, staring at each other.   
  
“M-mom, I can explain…" Buffy stuttered, clutching the covers tightly against her chest.   
  
Joyce remained speechless while Giles suddenly felt the compulsive need to thoroughly clean his glasses, taking them off and rubbing them with the hem of his pullover.   
  
“D-Da, I-“ Spike tried but was interrupted by Mrs. Summers:   
  
“You two, get dressed. Now." Without another word she turned on her heels and left the room, an extremely confused Giles trailed behind her.   
  
“Oh, my God!" Buffy breathed; her gaze unfocussed as the scene which had just occurred replayed in her mind.   
  
“It’s gonna be alright, pet." Spike tried to reassure her, rubbing his hand on her back.   
  
“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!" She repeated incessantly as she suddenly began to move.   
  
Her movements were clumsy and uncoordinated as she struggled to find her clothes under the large pile scattered around her bed. Spike mimicked her actions with a little more precision and a little less trembling.   
  
“Buffy, relax don’t-“   
  
“Relax?! My mom and your father just caught us in bed together!" She practically shouted before adding: “Naked!"   
  
“Yes, but-“   
  
“What were they doing here, anyway?" Buffy didn’t even bother to hear what the bleached teen standing next to her was saying. “She is supposed to be at work. She’s not supposed be at home for another two or three hours." She protested. Suddenly, another question popped into her head. “What is *your* father doing here? Isn’t he supposed to be at the shop?"   
  
Spike had pretty much figured why their parents had come home earlier but, seeing the Buffy’s anxious state of mind, he decided it was best for her to figure it out on her own. So he simply shrugged.   
  
“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!" The initial mantra returned as she pulled her jeans on and flattened her sweater against her stomach.   
  
She glanced over at Spike to find him completely dressed and sitting on the bed.   
  
“What are we gonna tell them?" She wondered out loud.   
  
“I don’t think the whole ‘It’s not what you think’ speech is gonna work here, so I suggest we tell the truth." He offered standing up straight.   
  
“Everything?"   
  
“Well, it would be a good idea not to mention the nights at the cabin. Or the Chase’s New Year’s Eve party. Somehow I don’t think your mom could handle that right now." Spike explained.   
  
Buffy let out a long sigh.   
  
“We better go then." She mumbled, turning the knob and walking out into the hallway and down the stairs.   
  
The two teens reached the living room to find Giles and Joyce standing in the middle of it.   
  
“Sit." Mrs. Summers ordered and the two blondes obliged, taking a seat on the couch. “Explain."   
  
“Well…" Buffy started; her heart pounding in her chest with such strength she was afraid it might jump out. “Spike and I are… dating."   
  
“Dating?" Joyce inquired.   
  
“Spike has been my boyfriend since before the Homecoming dance." Buffy blurted out nervously as she rubbed her sweaty palms together.   
  
“How?" The older woman continued questioning.   
  
The two teens exchanged a glance before Buffy continued:   
  
“We kinda started hanging out together a lot and one thing lead to another and…"   
  
“You ended up in bed together?" Joyce offered sarcastically.   
  
“No! It wasn’t like that." ‘Well, come to think of it, it was exactly like that.’ Buffy’s mind reminded her, but somehow, admitting that to her mother didn’t seem like a very sane option at the moment so she mumbled: “W-we really like each other and we’ve been going out together for a while and… yes, we did have sex." Buffy finally confessed.   
  
“Then why did you lie to me and tell me he was gay?" Mrs. Summers inquired outraged.   
  
“I didn’t!" Buffy defended herself sticking out her index finger. “I-I never said he was gay. You just assumed that he was because I told you I definitely wasn’t his type."   
  
To that Joyce seemed to have run out of ideas.   
  
“So, you two…" Her finger pointed from Buffy to Spike and back to Buffy.   
  
“Yes, we’ve together." Spike spoke up for the first time.   
  
“Well, I don’t know how Rupert feels about this but…" Mrs. Summers, who had, single-handedly, lead the inquiry up to that point, trailed off and turned to Giles for an opinion.   
  
“Um… I… um…" He mumbled, being caught off guard by the sudden attention. Truth was there was only one question hammering in his mind: “Does this mean you’re not gay?" He blurted out with a confused frown over his eyebrows.   
  
“No, da, I’m not gay." Spike sighed, running his hands through the thick locks of his hair.   
  
“Oh, thank God!" Giles breathed; the relief evident as his square shoulders relaxed noticeably. “N-Not that there’s anything wrong with that, understand." He stiffened again when he felt Joyce swat him across his arm   
  
“Rupert, is that all you have to say?" She asked a bit shocked.   
  
“W-well, n-no, of course not, b-but…" The shopkeeper stuttered, taking off his spectacles and once again cleaning them with his pullover. “W-what you two did was… um… wrong. I mean, misleading us like that, i-is just inconsiderate and… um… wrong and… Oh, bloody hell…I’m just happy that my son isn’t gay." He finally admitted.   
  
“Rupert?!" Joyce scolded. “I think we need to have this conversation alone." She announced. “Buffy, come with me. Spike, you stay here and talk to your father."   
  
Buffy glanced at Spike for support and he brushed his hand over her shoulder, patting it lightly as she stood up to follow her mother into the kitchen.   
  
The teen took her place on one of the stools while her mother remained standing across from her. They stood in excruciating silence for a while until Buffy couldn’t take it anymore and uttered:   
  
“Look, mom. I’m really sorry. I realise what we did wasn’t right, going out behind your back but it all just happened so fast and we really weren’t together yet when all of a sudden you brought Giles home for dinner and announced that he was your boyfriend." She pointed out as the words seem to rush out of her mouth, never giving her time to inhale properly. “A-and then we started getting along but then we fought and broke up a-and then we made up and we have been trying to tell you guys about us but it’s all been so confusing." She came to a halt for a sharp intake of breath.   
  
“Are you done?" Was Mrs. Summers’ simple reply.   
  
“Please don’t be mad." She begged with a painful frown.   
  
Joyce let out a sigh, walking over to the refrigerator and taking out a carton of orange juice. She poured it into two glasses and handed one to Buffy.   
  
“I’m not mad." She reassured her daughter and the teen relaxed. “I’m just hurt."   
  
Buffy winced at that. She hated when her mother did that. Most of the times she would prefer having her shouting, screaming at her, anything was better than seeing the look her mother had that instant.   
  
~+~   
  
“So…" Giles started taking a seat on the couch.   
  
“So…" Spike replied. He sat next to the older man, his elbow resting on his knees, his hands clamped together.   
  
“You a-and Buffy…"   
  
“Buffy and I…" The teen repeated.   
  
“You-You’re…" Giles waved his spectacles in the air.   
  
“Together?"   
  
The shopkeeper nodded.   
  
“Yes. We’re together."   
  
There was complete silence between them, the only sound breaking it came from the heel of Spike’s boot as he nervously tapped it on the floor.   
  
“S-since when?" Giles inquired, tilting his head.   
  
“Since before the dance."   
  
“Oh, that long…"   
  
Silence…   
  
~+~   
  
“I thought you and I had a special relationship, Buffy. I thought that you could tell me anything. No matter what." She paused and then added: “I guess I was wrong."   
  
“Mom…" Buffy trailed off.   
  
There was a ghostly silence between them and Buffy could swear she could hear her own heartbeat.   
  
“It’s not like you tell me everything." She finally whispered. “You didn’t tell me about Giles until two mouths after you started dating him.   
  
“That’s different."   
  
“How come?"   
  
“First of all I am the mother and you are the daughter. Not the other way around."   
  
“Ah, so I have to tell *you* everything, but you don’t tell me anything?" Buffy demanded. “That’s not fair!"   
  
“Too bad! That’s the way things are. You are still under age and-“   
  
“I’ll be eighteen next month." The teen countered raising her voice a bit.   
  
“Exactly! Till then you are still under age."   
  
“But-“   
  
“No, ‘but’s young lady." Mrs. Summers warned her.   
  
“So what? You are just going to forbid me to see Spike? Is that it? ‘Cause I’m telling you I am not going to stop seeing him." Buffy finished by crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“Do you really think I would do that?" Joyce asked a bit surprised.   
  
“Yes." Buffy answered weakly.   
  
“Oh, Buffy. Since when have I ever told who you could or could not date?" Joyce sighed exasperated.   
  
“You weren’t too happy when I started seeing Angel." Buffy noted.   
  
“But I never told you that you couldn’t see him."   
  
“Yeah, but you made that face every time he came by."   
  
After a beat Joyce mumbled:   
  
“I never really liked him…"   
  
At that Buffy chuckled. Both felt the tension melt away as the silence returned, this time a much more comfortable one.   
  
“So…" Buffy started. “You are not going to stop me from seeing Spike?"   
  
“Of course not. Why do you kids have to make everything into an overdramatic, modern tale of Romeo and Juliet?" Joyce wondered taking the two glasses and putting them in the sink.   
  
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Buffy jumped off the stool and swung her arms around her mother for a bear hug.   
  
“Calm down. You’re still not off the hook." Joyce assured when she was finally able to disentangle herself from the embrace.   
  
~+~   
  
The silence between the two Brits was overwhelming. Spike sat in his place, pressing his hands together, tapping his foot, while Giles nervously adjusted his glasses back on.   
  
“Spike…" He finally spoke up. “You-You know that you should have told me about this."   
  
“I tried. You were too busy trying to get me to embrace my ‘true self’ as far as I can remember." Spike explained, narrowing his eyes at his father.   
  
“Oh, yes… sorry about that. I-I just thought that… Um… you were…"   
  
“Gay." The teenager offered when the older man seemed to be stuck with the word.   
  
“Yes. Um… which apparently you are not." Giles noted looking at his son for confirmation.   
  
“Da, for the one thousandth time, I. Am. Not. Gay."   
  
“R-right, sorry." Rupert stuttered, not able to contain the smile that spread over his lips.   
  
The stillness returned and the tapping sound louder than ever.   
  
“Do you mind not doing that?" Giles asked.   
  
Spike looked down at his foot and back up at his father before stopping.   
  
“Thank you."   
  
A moment passed before he spoke again:   
  
“Do you… like her?"   
  
“Buffy? Of course I do. I’m crazy about her!" Spike exclaimed.   
  
“Good, cause I really don’t want her to get hurt. Not only because she is Joyce’s daughter, but because she is a good kid. She’s a very special girl and I don’t want to see her getting hurt."   
  
“Dad, relax, I’m nuts about her, I would never do anything to hurt her. Ever." He reassured his father.   
  
“Good."   
  
Silence.   
  
“Who would have thought…"   
  
Spike frowned and looked at the man sitting next to him.   
  
“Father and son, dating mother and daughter."   
  
“Yeah, Freud would have a field day on that one." Spike smirked causing his father to laugh out loud.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy stared up at her mother, trying to hide the grin that threatened to take over her lips. This was just so great! No more hiding and no more lying to her mother. She hated doing that. Even though the whole hiding thing had it’s ups.   
  
“You and Spike…"   
  
“Yes…?"   
  
“Y-you have… um…" Joyce struggled with the way to approach the subject as the blush took over her cheeks. “You have been having… relations."   
  
Buffy nodded.   
  
“D-did you... did you take precautions?" She finally said it out loud.   
  
“Yes, mom. I’ve been taking the pill since Angel, remember? You made me take it?" Buffy reminded her.   
  
“Oh, yes… I just never thought… you know? I always thought it was more of insurance than actually…"   
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you." Buffy mumbled; her gaze cast down to the floor.   
  
“It’s ok…" Joyce replied, running her hand over Buffy’s cheek. “I just hope that next time you will be able to talk to me about these things."   
  
“I will." She promised with a smile as she watched her mother start to leave the kitchen. “Mom?"   
  
“Yeah?" Joyce came to a halt and turned to face her daughter.   
  
“What are you and Giles doing home so early?"   
  
At the question, Mrs. Summers’ face turned bright red.   
  
“Oh… He… um… he was just here to help me with… um… the plumbing." Joyce stammered the answer.   
  
“Oh…" Buffy said starting to head out to the living room again before coming to a halt once more. “Why did you go into my room?"   
  
“Um… I… um, we… I… we needed… um…"   
  
Hearing her mother’s incoherent babbling made Buffy frown; her brain slowly trying to grasp the reason for such embarrassment.   
  
“Mom?"   
  
“We better go check on the boys." Joyce blurted out with a plastic grin as she continued to walk, leaving Buffy behind.   
  
Suddenly, a light switch flickered on in the teen’s brain; her face immediately distorting itself for a nauseated look.   
  
“Oh, mom!" She groaned, following her.   
  
They entered the living room to find the two men sitting on the couch, chuckling at something that Spike had just said.   
  
“What are you two laughing about?"   
  
“Oh, nothing, nothing." Giles quickly replied standing up. “I-Is everything ok?" He asked when he saw the disgusted look on Buffy’s face.   
  
“Everything’s fine." Joyce answered.   
  
“So Buffy and I can go out?" Spike asked. The anxiety evident in his voice.   
  
“It’s fine by me." She started before adding: “As long as you behave. Rupert?"   
  
“Oh, it’s fine by me."   
  
Buffy and Spike smiled widely at that.   
  
“Um, Spike? Can I have a word with you?" Joyce inquired.   
  
“Sure."   
  
Standing up, the teen approached the smiling woman who leaned in to whisper in his ear:   
  
“You do anything to hurt my daughter, I don’t care if you *are* Rupert’s son; I will hunt you down and cut something off." All was said with a wide grin on, which only served to terrify Spike even more.   
  
‘Gee, like mother like daughter.’   
  
~+~   
  
“Your parents caught you?? In bed together?" Xander cried out, sprawling back in his chair while Buffy and Spike blushed furiously.   
  
“Thank you, Xander, I don’t think the entire student body knew about that." Buffy said, her eyes nervously scanning the room.   
  
“Sorry! It’s just… wow! Talk about embarrassing."   
  
“What’s embarrassing?" Oz asked as he and Willow approached the table and took their seats.   
  
“Buffy’s mom and Spike’s dad caught them doing the ‘wild thing’." Xander replied casually, popping a French fry into his mouth.   
  
At that the redness in Spike and Buffy’s cheeks intensified.   
  
“Ouch." Oz exclaimed monotonically, glancing at his girlfriend for a hysterical reaction, but it never came. “You already knew, huh?"   
  
“Buffy called me last night to tell me." She explained gingerly.   
  
“Why didn’t you tell me?" Oz questioned without a hint of accusation in his voice.   
  
“Cause I know you’re not obsessed about Buffy and Spike’s love life like Xander."   
  
“How could I not be? Their life is a soap opera. It’s addictive." The brown-haired teen defended himself. “So the parents finally know, huh?"   
  
“Yup." Buffy replied with a smile.   
  
“What and no drama?" Xander asked a bit confused.   
  
“Nope. No drama. Just a very awkward conversation on prophylactics."   
  
“That’s no fun." Xander mumbled earning a swat across the arm from Buffy. “Just kidding. I’m glad you guys are out of the closet. Speaking of being out of the closet…" his gaze fell over the Brit. “Your dad must have lit a few fireworks on finding out that you’re not gay." He chuckled.   
  
“I’m just glad I’m not going to have to listen to anymore of those ridiculous ‘you shouldn’t be afraid of being who you are’ speeches. They were driving me nuts." Spike sighed in relief, letting his head drop into his hands.   
  
“Poor, Spikey!" Buffy mocked, running her fingers through his hair.   
  
“So now you two and the parents are gonna go out on double dates or what?"   
  
“Urg! No!" Both Buffy and Spike denied in unison.   
  
“Gotta hand it to you guys, I have a twisted family but you-“   
  
“Hey!" Buffy protested.   
  
“What?!" Xander defended himself. “Do you realise that if your parents ever decide to tie the knot you two are going to be like siblings?"   
  
“Step-siblings." Spike and Buffy corrected.   
  
“Whatever. It has the word ‘sibling’ in it."   
  
“Come on, Xander, stop being a meany!" Willow came to Spike and Buffy’s aid.   
  
“I’m just kidding. Don’t worry! Though, I can’t wait to tell Cordy about this!" Xander said rubbing his hand together.   
  
Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter... and for the delay. It was ready by Wednesday, but RL got in the way. I got home yesterday to find that my electricity had been cut! Isn't life great? Anyway... I’ve finally got the electricity back on and that’s why I’m only updating now! I’m really sorry! :( On the plus side there is no cliffhanger!   
  
  
  
Chapter 43   
  
“Mom, you’re only going to be away for one day." Buffy shouted as she watched her mother climbing up the stairs for the fourth time.   
  
“I just want to make sure I’ve got everything." Mrs. Summer’s yelled back from the top floor.   
  
“The cab’s here." Buffy announced, glancing out the window before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning on the wall.   
  
She sighed audibly when she saw her mother racing down the stairs with one bag under each arm.   
  
“Why are you taking so much luggage with you?" Buffy asked.   
  
“You never know what you might need." Joyce explained as she mentally went through her check list.   
  
“You’re going to LA. I’m pretty sure they’ve got everything we have here and more. If you forget something you can just buy it there." Buffy noted.   
  
“Well, I don’t like forgetting anything." Mrs. Summers explained as she flattened her skirt against her thighs. “Ok, now, you know the rules."   
  
“Yes, mom." Buffy sighed again.   
  
“Good. No wild parties, no staying up late, no opening the door to strangers, no-“   
  
“Mom! I know." Buffy insisted cutting off her mother’s rambling.   
  
“Ok, I trust you." Mrs. Summers admitted with a sharp intake of air as she ran her hands over her daughter’s head before placing a quick peck on her forehead. “Be good."   
  
“Always." Buffy said with a roll of her eyes, picking up one of her mother’s bags and opening the door.   
  
“Remember, if there is any problem, call me. The hotel number is by the phone." Mrs. Summer’s said before entering the taxi.   
  
“I know." Buffy replied. “Now go. Don’t worry."   
  
“I’ll be back tomorrow night." Joyce said as the car door closed behind her. “Try to stay out of trouble till then."   
  
“Have a nice trip."   
  
“Bye honey."   
  
“Bye." Buffy waved as the taxi drove away.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy mumbled something undistinguishable as she nuzzled against Spike’s leather-clad arm.   
  
“Come again?" The Brit asked with a smirk.   
  
“I don’t want to go to classes." She repeated, sitting up straight and rubbing her temples as she rested her elbows on the table.   
  
“Not alone on that one." Xander said supportively as he finished his lunch.   
  
“I got chemistry." Buffy protested.   
  
“Math." The brown-haired teen retorted simply.   
  
“You win." Buffy sighed audibly, slouching back into her chair.   
  
“What’s gotten into you today?" Willow asked.   
  
“I’m just sick of school." The blonde moaned crossing her arms around her chest.   
  
“Poor thing." Spike said in a low voice as he nuzzled against her cheek.   
  
The bell rang and Buffy moaned, cringing as she sunk further in her chair.   
  
“We better go or Miss Thacker is gonna kill us." Willow told Xander as she stood up.   
  
The teen grumbled something before following her lead.   
  
“See you guys later." Willow waved at the couple who remained seated.   
  
“Bye, Red." Turning back to Buffy, Spike rubbed her shoulder. “We better get you moving too."   
  
“Get me moving? You don’t have classes now?" Buffy asked standing up and walking out of the cafeteria with Spike trailing behind her.   
  
“No."   
  
There was a strangeness in his voice that told her that he was hiding something. She tilted her head towards his and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him.   
  
“Dru and I are gonna work on the biology assignment during our free period." He mumbled.   
  
At that Buffy let a hint of a smile take over her lips.   
  
“You don’t have to avoid talking about that, you know?" She said with a roll of her eyes.   
  
“I just…"   
  
“I’m ok with it." Buffy cut him off, coming to a halt and placing her fingers over his mouth when they reached her classroom. “Now, as for more… interesting subjects…" She practically purred letting her finger trail down to the nape of his neck.   
  
“Yeah…?" Spike replied in a similar tone as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist.   
  
“My mom is going to be out of town tonight." Her eyes were wide and bright as she spoke.   
  
“Oh, really…?"   
  
Buffy frowned. His reaction wasn’t exactly the one she had expected. The surprise in his voice was forceful and not natural. After a few seconds under Buffy’s scrutinising stared Spike caved in:   
  
“I already knew."   
  
“How?"   
  
“You’re mom called my Da yesterday to tell him. Something about a problem with one of the shipments. Got stuck in Customs in LA?" Spike explained.   
  
“No fun, I wanted it to be a surprise!" She pouted lightly stomping her foot.   
  
“You keep forgetting our parents are dating." He chuckled.   
  
“No fun!" Buffy repeated as she turned to leave but he grabbed her by her arm.   
  
“Nuh-uh. You were about to say something before… about your mom being out of town and that being… a more interesting subject…" Spike said with a leer as he cocked up his scared eyebrow.   
  
Buffy simply shook her head.   
  
“Oh, come on Buffy." He supplied wrapping his arms around her again.   
  
“I was going to ask if… you’d want to… I don’t know." As she spoke her index finger traced the lapels of his duster, her eyes hooded as she looked up at him. “Maybe… Come over for dinner and… stay?"   
  
Spike bit his lip, his eyes narrowed at her. The extremely tempting proposal turned even more appealing by the shy and nervous way in which she issued the invitation.   
  
“Are you saying you’re going to cook for me, Summers?" He asked suggestively.   
  
“A-actually no." Buffy replied a bit embarrassed. “I can’t cook. But I’m an expert at ordering Chinese. How about it?" She lowered her gaze to his chest.   
  
His index finger came under her chin forcing her to look up at him.   
  
“I’d love to." He agreed before kissing her.   
  
The sharp sound of someone clearing their throats forced them to break apart.   
  
“Miss Summers, we’d love for you to join us, if you ever manage to finish saying goodbye to your boyfriend."   
  
“Oh, sorry!" Buffy mumbled as she awkwardly moved away from Spike.   
  
“I’ll see you-“ Spike was cut off when he felt an arm link around his. He turned his gaze to see Dru clinging to him, her head resting on his shoulder.   
  
“There you are, my sweet prince. I’ve been looking all over for you. I was afraid you were hiding from me, you naughty boy." The black-clad girl purred in a babyish tone as she lightly swatted him across the chest.   
  
Buffy simply stared at the couple as her stomach turned violently.   
  
Spike winced at the look on her face.   
  
“I’ll see you later, ok?" He asked.   
  
She simply nodded.   
  
“You have theatre rehearsal today?"   
  
Another nod.   
  
“I’ll go be at your house at seven, ok?"   
  
“Miss Summers, are you coming?" The teacher’s serious tone caused Buffy to jump up a bit and she turned on her heels to enter the classroom.   
  
~+~   
  
She hummed completely out of tune as she spread the newly ironed sheets over her bed. She tugged and pulled at them, stretching them over the mattress so that there was no mark, leaving the surface unmarred. She let her arms drop at her sides as she inspected her bedroom. She smiled at the strategically placed candles around the bed, over her nightstand and by the windowsill. She picked one up and brought the wax near her nose before inhaling sharply.   
  
‘Ah, cinnamon and vanilla! Perfect combo!’ she thought, chuckling a bit as her gaze drifted over to her alarm clock. ‘Hum… ten past seven. I wonder why he’s late. Maybe he’s just freshening up so he’s all yummy for me.’ She wondered.   
  
At that moment the doorbell rang and as she practically hopped her way down the stairs. The wide grin that danced over her lips soon crumbled to pieces when she was greeted by Chen from the local Chinese restaurant. She forced a ghost of a smile back on her face as she quickly paid the boy and took the various boxes he handed her.   
  
She took her time taking the food out of the carton containers and transferring them into her bowls and dishes before placing them on the table. By the time she was done it was seven thirty and the phone rang. She raced to answer it:   
  
“Hello?"   
  
“Hey, Buffy, it’s me." Spike’s voice came from the other side of the line.   
  
“You’re late." She scolded.   
  
“I know I’m sorry."   
  
“Well, you are going to have to make it up to me *big* time." She tone immediately switched from the harsh one of the first reply to a soft enticing purr.   
  
“Erg…About that…" Spike hesitated a bit.   
  
“Is something wrong?" A frown quickly settled to mar her eyebrows.   
  
“It’s just that…"   
  
“Is mommy’s little dog going to take much longer… mommy’s not happy…"   
  
“Is that-" Buffy practically choked in disgust when she recognized the semi-insane voice coming from the background. “Is that Dru?"   
  
“Yeah, we had to-“   
  
“What is she doing at your house at seven thirty at night?" She demanded trying to calm herself down.   
  
“That’s what I was trying to explain to you." He grumbled. “Dru couldn’t make it this afternoon and we weren’t able to work on the assignment so we are making up for it now." He quickly explained.   
  
“What do you mean she couldn’t make it? She was with you when you left me for chemistry class." Buffy continued questioning, her voice growing louder and louder as the image of Dru clinging to Spike’s arm flashed before her eyes.   
  
“Yeah, well you know Dru."   
  
“No, I don’t. Explain it to me." Her tone was dripping with harsh sarcasm as she heard Dru’s insane giggling on the other side of the line.   
  
“Well, she suddenly remembered she had something to do and-“   
  
There it was again! The giggling! What was that chromatically-challenged ho giggling about? What was she doing? God, she hated this, she really did. No matter how much she tried to stick it in her head that she was ok with it she definitely wasn’t, especially not right now.   
  
“Ok?" It was the first thing she heard when she finally tuned back to listen to Spike.   
  
“Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said." Buffy apologized pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose.   
  
“I asked if it would be ok if I came back later to- Dru will you stop doing that?"   
  
Ok, that did it! Buffy practically felt her head exploding.   
  
“Don’t bother." She said harshly. “The food’s already cold anyway so you better not come at all."   
  
“But, luv we can still-“   
  
“Forget it, Spike. I’ll see you tomorrow ok?"   
  
“But-“   
  
“Spike, I said forget it, alright?"   
  
There was a moment of pause and a sigh of frustration was heard before Spike’s beaten down asked:   
  
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come over?"   
  
“I’m sure." She replied with a strong tone.   
  
“Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow then."   
  
“Whatever." Buffy grumbled before slamming the receiver down.   
  
Spike let out another heavy sigh when he heard the busy signal and put the phone down. He ran his hands trough his thick curls before looking up at his living room. He scanned it a couple of times but failed to find Dru. Grumbling something incomprehensible he pushed himself off the chair and stood up.   
  
“Dru?" He called out but there was no answer. “Dru?" He repeated and this time he heard giggles coming from the upstairs.   
  
With an annoyed frown over his eyebrows he climbed up the stairs to find that the sound came from his bedroom. He inhaled sharply before pushing the door open and entering. He found her sitting on the windowsill staring blankly out into the dark night.   
  
“Dru?" He called again.   
  
“My sweet, dark prince came…" She purred, slipping off the windowsill and practically hovering her way towards him. She looked like a wildcat on the prowl as her long nail dug their way across his t-shirt-clad chest.   
  
“Dru… What are you doing?" He asked, closing his eyes for a second.   
  
She never answered him. Instead, she let her head fall to the crook of his neck and let her face nuzzle there.   
  
Her scent surrounded him, her soft skin brushed against his. It was hard to admit it but, at that moment, he, somehow, missed her. He fisted his hands at his sides and asked:   
  
“What do you want, Dru?"   
  
“Don’t you miss playing...? Mommy wants to play…" She whirred as one long finger sluggishly trailed down his stomach to reach the waistband of his jeans.   
  
That did it! In a flash his hands were gripping her wrists hard and pushing her away from him.   
  
“Go home, Dru." He said in a low, harsh voice. “I don’t want to play."   
  
“But… the whispers in my ear tell me-“   
  
“I don’t bloody well care what those sodding whispers in your ear tell you." He growled pushing her out of the room and dragging her down the stairs. “Get out!" He finally said when they reached the main door.   
  
“It’s that witch!" She hissed, narrowing her eyes. “She’s been weaving nasty, little spells around your pretty head. Trying to push you away from me, trying to make you stop loving me." She clawed her way around his form, her hand waving around his head as she spoke in a babyish tone: “But I know you still love me… Mommy knows." She said with an insane smile as she pushed away from him and walked over to the door. “You’ll realise it… I know you will."   
  
“It’s over, Dru." He was barely able to say. There was something about her that still got to him. It was hard to erase his first love, especially since it had lasted as long as it had.   
  
“I’ll see you on the other side of the storm, my prince." Was the last thing she said before she closed the door.   
  
Spike simply sighed and leaned against the wood for a few minutes before it suddenly opened on him. He quickly moved away to see him father coming in.   
  
“Hey, Da." He greeted with little enthusiasm.   
  
“Hello, William." Giles automatically replied. Seeing the strange look on his son’s face he stopped for a second. “Is everything alright?" He asked.   
  
“I’m fine." He mumbled as he dragged himself up the stairs.   
  
“Since I came home a little late I thought I’d order out instead." Giles shouted up at his son.   
  
“Whatever. I’m not hungry." Spike grumbled as he continued on his way up to his room.   
  
The older man frowned. There was definitely something wrong with his son if he wasn’t at least relieved that he wasn’t going to have to eat his father’s cooking. And what was he doing at home? Wasn’t Joyce out of town? He would have figured that the two teens would have jumped at the chance of having a whole house for themselves. ‘Something is definitely wrong.’ Giles thought as he started looking through the phonebook.   
  
~+~   
  
Spike hung up the phone for the fifth time that night. Why wasn’t she picking up? He rolled to his side to be greeted by his old ‘Sex Pistols’ poster. He closed his eyes for a second but his quest for sleep was cut short by a light knock on the door.   
  
“Yeah?" He grumbled.   
  
“Dinner is on the table." Giles announced, opening the door.   
  
“I’m not hungry." Was Spike’s short reply.   
  
“Of course you are." Rupert insisted, entering the room and walking over to his bed.   
  
“Just go away, Da." Spike mumbled, turning on his stomach and burying his face in his pillow.   
  
“You stop this nonsense this instant and come downstairs now." Giles said with more authority.   
  
“I don’t-“   
  
“William, you have had a fight with Buffy and you don’t want to talk about it. That’s fine! But I’m not going to let my son go to bed starving because of some silly fight with his girlfriend. Now go get washed and be downstairs in two minutes." Giles demanded before he walked out of the bedroom and down to the living room.   
  
Within five minutes the teen was slouching into the room and onto a chair. Not even the sight of pizza on the table brightened his mood as he brought one piece into his mouth and took an unwilling bite off it. The two men sat in silence as they ate their dinner. Giles was the one to break it:   
  
“Would you like to talk about it now?" He asked.   
  
“No." Spike replied simply, without bothering to glance up at his father.   
  
Giles nodded and continued eating. When the teen was done, he stood up and was about to go upstairs when the older man’s voice halted him.   
  
“William, it’s you’re turn to do the dishes." And without another word, Rupert stood up and walked into his study.   
  
Spike grumbled a thousand curses under his breathe as he started picking up the plates and bringing them into the kitchen.   
  
~+~   
  
He rubbed his hands hard against his closed eyes as he slowly made his way up the stairs. He was tired and all he wanted to do was sleep. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to. He hated fighting with her. And worst of all, he didn’t even know if the conversation they had had on the phone could qualify as a fight. The fact that she wasn’t answering her phone told him that it had probably been one.   
  
Sighing audibly, he pushed the door to his bedroom open. He never even bothered to turn on the lights; the frail moonlight coming from the open window was enough for him to find his way around the room. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and flung it towards his dresser, proceeding with undoing his belt and unbuttoning his jeans. When he was fully undressed, he dragged his feet across the floor and let his tired form drop onto the bed. He sat there for a few seconds, contemplating what had happened that day and wondering what he had done wrong. The thought that he could have been laying in her bed right now, with his arms wrapped around her waist, sent a shiver of regret down to his stomach. It was all Dru’s fault, he finally decided as he lay back on the bed and curled under the covers.   
  
~+~   
  
Awareness crept up on him when he felt the weight on his mattress slowly shift. His heart started slamming hard against his chest as all sorts of grotesque and terrifying scenarios ran through his sleep-clouded mind. Someone was in the house, in his room and now slowly crawling their way into his bed. His palms grew sweaty when he felt a female form press against his back. A very recognizable, very naked form, followed by an equally familiar scent. *Her* scent. His heartbeat increased, this time for a different reason as light fingers found their way over his stomach to trace unrecognizable patterns on the tender skin there.   
  
A hot mouth assaulted his neck and he couldn’t help but growl when a wet tongue slipped through the maze of his ear. A gasp escaped his parted lips and his eyes closed shut when the hand, which had been dancing over his abdomen, ventured further down his body to wrap itself around his hardening cock. He clenched his teeth at the combined sensation; the warm tongue playing with his ear and neck and the small fingers that pumped him in a slow, vicious pace. He tried to resist the urge to turn around and respond, his hands fisting themselves around the white sheets under him, practically ripping them as he attempted to keep his hips from trusting into the hand that was sliding up and down his length.   
  
The sound of a soft moan in his ear and two small breasts pressing against his back were his undoing as he suddenly turned on his back and crushed his lips against her parted ones. Without asking for permission, his tongue seized the opportunity and invaded her mouth, hungrily lapping and pushing inside as his hand rested on the back of her head and pressed her against him.   
  
Soon, breathing became an issue and the woman now hovering over him pulled away, panting violently as she let him trail hard kisses down her neck.   
  
Spike ran his teeth long the tender column of her throat, inhaling sharply the scent that now surrounded him. The scent he loved… her scent…   
  
“Dru…" He mumbled against her skin.   
  
Author’s Note: Please, please don’t kill me. Just believe in the Spuffyness!   
  
  
  
Chapter 44   
  
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Spike felt the body hovering above him freeze before abruptly pushing off of him.   
  
“What?!" An outraged voice broke the silence as he felt the small form scrambling away from him, taking the sheets with it.   
  
Without a word, Spike stretched his arm over to his nightstand and turned the bedside light on. The once blue room was flooded with shades of fiery yellow and orange. He shifted in the bed to see Buffy kneeling on the mattress, the white fabric of his covers bunched up around her chest as she clung to the material; her eyes wide as she stared back at him.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy felt her heart suddenly stop at the word that tumbled from his lips. For a second, she didn’t know what to do, how to move. Her mind drew a complete blank as it tried to process the repercussions of what he had just said. She didn’t even notice when she uttered one single, enraged, word back at him.   
  
After a while, she was able to move again and she quickly jumped away from him. She watched in the moonlight as he calmly moved towards the nightstand and turned on the lights. She didn’t even bother to narrow her eyes when the sudden burst of light coming from the lamp stung them. She remained perfectly still as he turned around to face her. What she saw on his face was the last thing she had expected… a smile. Better yet, a grin; a smug, aggravating grin. What was he grinning about?   
  
They stared at each other until Spike couldn’t help but chuckle. Buffy continued to gawk, utterly confused.   
  
“What are you smiling at?" She snarled at him.   
  
“Your reaction." He answered simply, crawling over the mattress towards her only to have her jump off the bed and stand next to it; sheets tightly clutched against her chest. “Oh, come on, pet…" He purred as he reached the edge of the bed.   
  
“You said her name!" Buffy stated the obvious, her green eyes staring holes into his chest.   
  
They grew wider when he chuckled again.   
  
“You think that’s funny? You thought I was her." She spoke up outraged.   
  
“Do you really think I thought you were her?" He asked, leaning back down on the mattress.   
  
“Yes!" She replied quickly.   
  
“Oh, come on Buffy, I knew it was you from the moment you touched me." He sighed, the smile still on his lips.   
  
“Riiight." She replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s why you said *her* name."   
  
“I said it on purpose." He explained, trying to reach for her one more time, but she stepped away from him and the bed.   
  
“No, you didn’t! It was dark, you couldn’t have recognized me-“   
  
She was cut off when suddenly he was off the bed and right in front of her, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.   
  
“One – keep it down or you are gonna wake up Da. Two – I would recognize you even if I was deaf, dumb *and* blind." He muttered, leaning down to nuzzle his nose against the crook of her neck. “God, I love the way you smell, Summers."   
  
The anger inside her melted away as his naked body pressed against her sheet-clad one, his hot mouth coming to trail open-mouth kisses down her neck. She felt herself being carried towards the bed when the memory of Dru’s name being muttered by him echoed in her mind and she abruptly slapped him across the arm before pulling away from his grasp.   
  
She quickly moved about the room, looking like a penguin on acid as she struggled with the long sheets around her until she had the bed between him and herself. This was better! From that distance she could actually form a logical train of thought. She exhaled sharply from the effort before speaking:   
  
“So, I’m supposed to believe that you knew that it was me all along and that you just said her name to royally piss me off, practically zeroing any chance of you getting laid tonight." She asked sardonically.   
  
“When you put it that way… not very smart, huh?" He questioned, scratching the back of his head. “Come to think of it I do have the tendency to say the stupidest thing in the most inappropriate moments."   
  
“Yes, you do." She confirmed setting her mouth in a straight line.   
  
They remained silent for a moment, until Spike tilted his head and let his lower lip jut out for a childish pout.   
  
“I’m sorry! It was a bad joke." He apologized, crawling over the bed to reach her.   
  
“Oh, no! Saying you’re sorry is not going to cut it, mister. What-" She announced as she moved back.   
  
Spike’s index finger immediately went over his mouth, signalling her to keep it down.   
  
“What would you do if I muttered Angel’s name while we were… doing it." She hissed in a lower voice pointing at the bed.   
  
Spike pondered the situation for a few seconds. The mere mention of the scenario was enough to get his blood racing a bit faster and his stomach to twist. His face contorted for a painful frown.   
  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t-“   
  
The teen was silenced by the sound of a door being opened followed by steps coming from the corridor. They froze, waiting, as the noises became louder and then drifted away. After a few moments of stillness, the familiar sound of water being flushed was heard, followed by the same footsteps and the creaking of a door being shut.   
  
Buffy remained glued to the floor as she continued straining to hear anything. Spike seized the opportunity and, in a flash, had her trapped in his arms again, his mouth on her neck causing her to gasp for air.   
  
“It was stupid of me… I’m sorry… Never do it again… promise." He muttered between kisses as he made his way to her earlobe.   
  
Without warning, his hand snaked between the sheets to reach the soft skin of her right thigh, while the other remained wrapped around her waist supporting her as she suddenly felt her knees buckle from under her.   
  
“I’m not…" She tried to speak but her panting breaths and the feel of his fingers slowly creeping up the inside of her thigh to reach the apex of her legs only served to cloud her mind and make it harder for her to think, let alone say anything coherent. “I’m not done being mad…" She gasped again when she felt the edge of the bed behind her knees before tumbling onto the mattress; Spike’s naked form quickly following her. “…at you."   
  
“I’m sorry…" He repeated as his mouth focused on the small spot just behind her earlobe, his tongue darting out to lap at it. “I was just pissed that you…" kiss “wouldn’t pick up the bloody…" lick “phone."   
  
“I was kind of busy coming over…" Her reply was meant to sound clever and witty, but it came out weak and breathless. “…to surprise your sorry ass. But you had to ruin it and-" Her new found anger was lost when his mouth assaulted hers for a demanding kiss; his tongue quickly pushing past her lips to delve in and explore.   
  
She tore away from his mouth with a sharp intake of breathe when his fingers finally reached their goal, probing and testing the swollen and wet spot between her legs.   
  
He watched, amazed. Her eyes were closed shut, her eyebrows coming together for an almost painful frown as her hips urgently thrust towards his hand. His fingers played around, tracing the contours of her silky folds, teasing her mercilessly, refusing to give her what she needed and causing her to moan and beg underneath him.   
  
“Please…" She whispered between gasps, buckling against his hand.   
  
“Please what?" He asked teasingly but, inside, he searched for all the strength he could muster to keep from answering her silent request.   
  
She didn’t reply, simply continued to mewl and pant. She held her breath when she felt him lean in to whisper in her ear:   
  
“How could you even think that I would want anyone but you?" He questioned in a husky, strained voice as his fingers continued to play with her. “Don’t you know you’re all I bloody well think about, Summers?" He continued, coming closer and closer to her entrance as his other hand silently sneaked between their bodies to pull at the sheets until she was completely uncovered. “You’re all I see…" His fingers fisted themselves in her hair forcing her to look up at him as he now hovered over her. “All I taste…" His voice cracked a bit when he finally slipped one long finger into her and she closed her eyes, moaning as she arched her back off the mattress, her bare breasts thrusting upwards and brushing against his chest. “All I feel." He managed to finish his sentence, bending down to kiss her.   
  
As their tongues battled for dominance, Spike moved his finger inside of her, exploring until he found that perfect spot inside of her, causing her to moan into his mouth.   
  
She mewled in protest when his finger slipped out of her, but a mixed wave of relief and anticipation washed over her when she felt him position himself between her spread legs. She held her breath once again as the head of his cock brushed against her entrance. He looked down at her for a few seconds before he moved his hips forwards and pushed inside of her. The two let out a joined gasp at the tight fit. It wasn’t long before he started slipping in and out of her in a slow, breathtaking rhythm.   
  
His elbows rested on the mattress, on each side of her head as he thrust his hips against her, his head lolling down as his eyes rolled back in their sockets at the intensity of their connection. After a while he was able to find the much needed control to adjust to her heat and control his erratic breathing. His mouth instinctively found its way to hers for a burning kiss as he increased the pace at which he moved inside of her.   
  
After a while, she was forced to break away from his lips, when the need for air was too much to handle. She swallowed hard, her eyes wide as she gulped down air in a frustrated attempt to control her breathing. The sight of him hovering over her, sliding up and down with his head dropped, his eyes tightly shut and his jaw muscles clenching and unclenching was almost too much take, causing her to gasp.   
  
“Ah…" She moaned when one of his thrusts went deeper and she felt her inner walls clamp around him.   
  
Her hands immediately flew towards his back, clawing at his skin as the feeling growing inside her became overwhelming. She lifted her back off the mattress to bite into his shoulder in order to keep from crying out. Her eyes went wide when she heard his ragged breath in her ear:   
  
“Don’t you know I could never want anyone else?" His voice was hoarse, raw with emotion. “How could you ever think that…?" He trailed off as the feel of her internal muscles gripping him tightly made it impossible to think with clarity. “How could you…? God, Buffy… you’re all I want… all the time… every time. Always you!" He trust harder and her teeth and nails sank deeper into his flesh.   
  
He heard her strangled cry as she finally came, her muscles contracting wildly around him and causing him to quickly follow her. They clung to each other with all their strength as the waves of orgasm washed over their quivering bodies. Buffy was completely lost to the world, it seemed that everything had vanished and the only thing remaining was herself and the man laying over her, pulling ragged breaths from his lungs. A sweet numbness invaded them and all strength seemed to pool away, leaving them limp and deliciously weak.   
  
They remained perfectly still for the next moments. Spike was the first to move, reluctantly slipping out of her as he rolled off of her to face the ceiling. A soft smile took over his swollen lips when he felt her stir next to him, her thin arms coming to wrap around his waist as she spooned her naked and sweaty body against his side. Her head rested on his shoulder, occasionally snuggling against the crook of his neck before she breathed:   
  
“Angel…"   
  
Spike immediately stiffened. He was about to protest when he felt her smile against his skin.   
  
“Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it?" She asked looking up at him, her neck barely able to support the weight of her head so she rested her chin on his chest.   
  
“Not funny, pet." He grumbled with a frown as he put his arm under the back of his head in order to be able to look at her.   
  
“You started it." She noted.   
  
“I said I was sorry." He mumbled with a fake pout.   
  
She sighed and let her head drop onto his chest, her eyes facing his perfectly shaped abdomen, her sweaty hair sticking to his wet skin. Her finger came to trace the contours of his bellybutton as she wondered out loud:   
  
“I should have made you suffer longer for what you did."   
  
“No use resisting me. I’m just too darn sexy."   
  
That earned a sardonic chuckle from her as she propped her chin up on his chest to look back at him.   
  
“Ha! Some ego!"   
  
“Can’t help it if it’s true." He replied with a smug grin.   
  
“You’re not irresistible." She retorted.   
  
“You *know* I am."   
  
“Humph…" She mumbled. “Not *that* irresistible."   
  
He chuckled and there was silence again. After a while, her gaze was cast down to his chest as her finger danced from one of his collarbones to the other.   
  
“What was she doing?" She finally asked.   
  
“Who?" He questioned with a frown.   
  
“Dru." Seeing the persistent confusion in his features she elaborated. “When we were on the phone... She was giggling and you told her to stop." She dared to throw a glance up at him.   
  
“Nothing." He replied not meeting her gaze.   
  
Without warning Buffy stood up and got off the bed, her eyes dropping to the floor as she started gathering her clothes.   
  
“What are you doing?" He asked puzzled once more.   
  
“Looking for my clothes." She replied dryly as she found her underwear and started slipping it on.   
  
By the time Spike got out of bed, she had put on her jeans and was now working on her bra.   
  
“Buffy, where are you going?" He asked following her around the room as she looked for her sweater.   
  
Where had she put that damned thing? She was pretty sure she had left her clothes all gathered up in a bunch before making the *huge* mistake of slipping into his bed. A-ha! There it was. Under the bed!   
  
She bent down, picking it up when she felt a strong grip around her arm forcing her to turn and face him.   
  
“What did I do now?" He asked.   
  
“You’re lying. That’s what you are doing." She spat at him.   
  
“Lying? I’m not lying. Why do you think I’m lying?"   
  
“Then why won’t you tell me what she was doing?" She asked triumphantly, raising her chin up high.   
  
“You wanna know what she was doing? Fine, she was clinging to my arm." He sighed audibly, letting go of her to drop his arms at his side in defeat.   
  
She simply glared daggers up at him, flinging her sweater over her head before stomping her way to the bedroom door and flinging it open.   
  
“Buffy, where are you going?" He asked again, exasperated as he quickly scrambled to find the nearest pair of jeans, putting them on and slipping on one untied boot before he trailed after her.   
  
Apparently, their little quarrel had managed to wake up Giles as he peeked his head out into the corridor to see a very pissed Buffy walking towards him, his shirtless son was hopping after her, apparently trying to put on one of his boots.   
  
“Buffy…?" He questioned with a sleepy voice as he rubbed his eyes.   
  
“Hello, Giles. Goodnight, Giles." Buffy greeted as she continued down the stairs.   
  
Seeing the puzzled look on his father’s face Spike simply put up his hand, halting any question the older man might have.   
  
“I’ll explain later." He assured him, when he finally managed to put on his boot and followed the enraged teen down the stairs and out the front door.   
  
“Buffy…" He sighed as he watched her race down the street.   
  
He took a sharp intake of breath before chasing after her. Unfortunately, Spike quickly realised that running after ones pissed girlfriend is easier if one does it with their laces tied since they have a tendency of causing you to trip. Grumbling a few curses he bent down and tied his laces before getting up to follow her. By the time he was done she was out of sight. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where she was going and after a long while he caught up with her near her house.   
  
“Buffy!" He called out; drawing harsh pants from his lungs as he slowed his pace down to stride along side her. ‘Note to self: quit smoking or, by the time you’re thirty, you won’t be able to walk around the block without coughing out a lung.’ “Buffy, will you just… *cough*… listen to me?"   
  
“Go home, Spike." She uttered as she continued to walk.   
  
“No." He said, raising his voice a little as he grabbed her arm and forced her to stop.   
  
“Let go of me." She warned him between clenched teeth.   
  
“Not until we talk this out." He replied, tightening his grip when she pulled away.   
  
“Let me go!" She yelled in his face.   
  
“No!"   
  
“Hey, will you keep it down? People are trying to sleep here." Someone shouted from a window on the other side of the street.   
  
“Shut up." The two teens replied in unison.   
  
Buffy pushed away from his grip and continued walking down the street, Spike trailing right behind her.   
  
“Buffy…" He called out again when she reached the stairs to her front porch. “You know?" He yelled at her retreating back. “It’s amazing how quickly you can go from hot to cold." She came to a halt at the top of the four steps and turned to see him standing there, with his arms opened wide in defeat. “So Dru tried to cop-a-feel off of me. Big deal! It’s not like the poof doesn’t do that every *single* day." He growled at her.   
  
“It’s for the play." She spat back.   
  
“Oh, right. I forgot. You are in a play so that gives Angel the right to make out with *my* girlfriend." He hissed, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head.   
  
“I asked you." Her index finger pointed dangerously at him. “I asked you if you were ok with this and you said you were!"   
  
“I told you what you wanted to hear. You wanted it to be fine, so I gave you what you wanted." He shouted taking a step closer to her. “But you… *You* get all buggered up over the fact that I have to spend time with Dru because of some stupid assignment and that’s all we do. We spend time working on a stupid report. Nothing else! It is nothing compared to the major suck-face festival that goes on on that stage almost every afternoon." His arms pointed out into the darkness of the night when he finished.   
  
“Nothing else? You just said she tried to cop-a-feel." She snapped.   
  
“Cop-a-feel! Exactly! Not check my tonsils with her bloody tongue." Spike spat back.   
  
“How many times do I have to say this? It’s for the stupid play! And we kissed like…three times, in front of like *twenty* people. We don’t spend an afternoon together in an empty, unsupervised house." Buffy rebutted.   
  
“So I have to spend time alone with her. Don’t you trust me?"   
  
“No, I don’t. You know why? Because what Angel and I had was three months. Three measly mouths and not three years like you and Dru. Three years at seventeen is like a… fifth of your lives!" She let her arms drop at her sides in defeat.   
  
“Two and a half." Spike corrected. “And it’s closer to a sixth."   
  
“See, you probably even know the days and hours you were together. What you had with her? I can *never* compete with that. You were insane about her. You grovelled at her feet, for Christsake."   
  
“I don’t want you to compete with anything. And I don’t grovel."   
  
“Yes, you did. I remember seeing the way you looked at her and hating Angel for not looking at me the same way." She insisted. “And now all of a sudden I’m supposed to believe that you don’t want her anymore? That you don’t feel anything for her?" She questioned, her voice cracking a bit under the turmoil of emotions going on inside of her.   
  
“I want you." He said in a calmer voice.   
  
“Tell me you don’t feel anything for her." She demanded.   
  
There was a long silence between them.   
  
“I… I can’t."   
  
At that Buffy let her shoulders slouch in defeat.   
  
“Dru… She’ll always mean something to me… She was my first love." He said patiently.   
  
“I keep thinking that if you stay close to her long enough you’ll realise…" Buffy swallowed hard as she forced the words out of her mouth: “You’ll realise you still want her. You want her… and not me."   
  
“Never." Spike breathed immediately.   
  
“Just go home, Spike…" She mumbled, turning around to go into her house.   
  
In a flash, he was up the steps, his hand gripping her arm tightly.   
  
“Let me go, Spike. Just-" Her voice was weak and beat down.   
  
“I can’t." He cut her off. “I’m in love with you, Summers."   
  
  
  
Author’s Note: How could you possibly think that I would make Spike cheat on Buffy? Oh, ye of little faith. I told you – believe in the Spuffyness, believe in the Spuffyness! ;) I think you guys are too used to Joss’ evilness. Remember, I’m not evil, I’m just possessed. ;)   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 45   
  
Buffy froze in place, her eyes wide, her mouth partially open as she stared up at him, his words still ringing in her ears. She continued trapped in her foggy daze when he spoke:   
  
“Buffy…?" He felt his heart beating erratically in his chest as if it wanted to leap out.   
  
The small beads of sweat came together to trail down his bare back and, when a soft breeze blew passed them, sending a chill through him, he realised he should have grabbed a shirt before racing after her. He fidgeted nervously, fisting and unfisting his hands repeatedly as he waited for her reaction, but she remained motionless in front of him, stiff as a board and gawking wide-eyed up at him. ‘Ok! Maybe this wasn’t the right time to tell her.’ He wondered nervously. His mind raced with all the possible reactions she could have. The catatonic one she was doing now only served to heighten his despair.   
  
“Buffy…?" He called again with a faltering voice.   
  
This time it seemed to have some effect as she suddenly shook her head and blinked a couple of times.   
  
“Yes?" She asked, trying to keep the edginess out of her voice as she ran her trembling hand over her forehead and a forced, nervous smile tugged at the corners of her lips; her gaze bounced over every available surface in a desperate attempt to avoid meeting his stare.   
  
“D-Did…" He swallowed hard as he tilted his head and repeated: “Did you hear what I just said?"   
  
“Um… yes… Um…" She was completely lost. Somehow, all ability to speak had abandoned her, or maybe it was the tight knot that was forming at the base of the throat and was now making it impossible for her to breathe, let alone speak. “Um… It’s late!" She suddenly blurted out, finally meeting his gaze. “I gotta go. Goodnight."   
  
Next thing he knew she was gone and the front door of her house was being slammed in his face, leaving him standing in her front porch… shirtless, in the middle of the night.   
  
After the few seconds it took him to gather his wits, he moved almost on autopilot, his index finger reaching for the small button on the doorframe and pressing it.   
  
Buffy leaned against the door, her heart beating at an almost unnatural pace as she pulled ragged breaths from her lungs. She really couldn’t deal with this right now. Not right now. He loved her? How? She shook her head to push back the myriad of questions that assaulted her mind. She jumped up when the doorbell rang again and she heard him call out her name.   
  
“Buffy, are you really planning on leaving me out here half naked all night?" She heard him shout.   
  
There was no answer.   
  
“Buffy!"   
  
A small blonde head popped out from behind the door.   
  
“Will you keep it down?" She hissed at him, letting him inside. “You’re gonna wake up the entire neighbourhood. You don’t have to shout." She forced a sigh out of her, in a frustrated attempt to look calm, rolling her eyes and once again avoided meeting his gaze.   
  
“I just told you I was in love with you and you slammed the sodding door in my face. How am I supposed to react?" He asked; the exasperation clear in his voice.   
  
“Well, what did you expect? You don’t say that to a girl in a middle of a fight." She explained as the stutter began to creep its way into her speech. “You-you don’t just say something like *that*." Her arms were flying around in erratic swings as she rambled on: “It’s not something you just… blurt out, you know? I—I mean, one minute we’re having this all out fight and the next you’re saying…" She struggled with the words: “You’re saying… *it*. You just- I-I didn’t expect that. I-I-“ She shook her head and a frown took over her eyebrows as she repeated with more conviction: “You can’t just say that."   
  
“Buffy, I lov-“   
  
“You don’t!" She stopped him in mid sentence and he stared at her wide-eyed.   
  
“What?" He asked in a weak voice.   
  
“You don’t."   
  
“Huh?" Now he was confused.   
  
“You don’t…" She felt the word getting caught in her throat and wasn’t able to finish her sentence.   
  
Spike continued staring at her like she had grown a second head.   
  
“What are you talking about? Of course I-“   
  
“No, you don’t!" She insisted, letting out a long sigh as she headed into the kitchen.   
  
Spike was still a bit shocked. Out of all the scenarios he had enacted in his head, this was never one of them. It took him a few seconds to realise she had left him standing in the hall. Shaking his head slightly and blinking a couple of times, he followed her into the kitchen to find her pacing around the room; a bottle of water tightly clutched in her sweaty hands.   
  
“Buffy, you have to believe me. I do lov-“   
  
She came to a halt as she spoke up, cutting him off:   
  
“Four months ago you were still moping around over Dru cheating on you. Planning how to get her back because she was your… dark princess or whatever weird pet name you had for her. And now, all of a sudden, you say that you… you… you know." She waved her hand in the air as she failed to say the word once more.   
  
“Why are you so obsessed over Dru and I?" He was finally able to speak a complete sentence.   
  
“Because you were completely meant to be together! I mean, you’re both English, both into the whole Goth slash punk thing… you’re both *nuts*, that’s for sure!" She ran her hand over her forehead and took in a deep breath.   
  
“So just because me and Dru have got some things in common…"   
  
“Some things?!" She asked almost outraged. “You’re practically the same person, only different genders and she’s a bit more out of it than you are." She stated widening her eyes at him.   
  
“Just because we have things in common doesn’t mean that we were meant to be together." He countered. When he realised it wasn’t having the desired effect, he added: “She was snogging Angel!"   
  
“Yes, and even so you still wanted her!" Buffy noted, raising her voice.   
  
There was silence between the two of them until she sighed and let the bottle of water rest on the counter.   
  
“You were crazy about her for so long. Anyone could see it." She said in a defeated tone.   
  
“You’re right." He spoke after a moment of pause. “I was completely obsessed with her."   
  
Buffy felt her stomach turn at what he said next.   
  
“She was all I thought about, all I dreamt about and it’s true…" He paused for a beat: “I loved her. I won’t deny it. But it’s over now."   
  
“You better go home…" Buffy breathed, her head bowed as she started heading for the hall once again. “You’re gonna catch a cold if you keep-"   
  
She felt a chill run down her spine when he moved and blocked her passage. They stood toe-to-toe, staring at each other.   
  
“I’m in love with you." He whispered, reaching to push an unruly thread of hair away from her face, but she stepped away before he could touch her.   
  
“No, you don’t." She insisted.   
  
Her words seemed to trigger the anger inside of him as he inhaled sharply and fisted his hands in an attempt to control his rage.   
  
“That’s really arrogant of you, Summers, you know that? To presume to know my feelings better than I do?"   
  
“Well, maybe I do." She challenged him, raising her chin.   
  
“Oh, really?" He narrowed his eyes at her.   
  
She nodded.   
  
“Well, did you know that the first time I saw you I felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room and I couldn’t breathe?"   
  
She was a bit shocked but quickly found a way to counter:   
  
“That’s very romantic, but we were in the middle of the courtyard, and you were yanking my ponytail and the way you were shouting ‘Fake blonde ahead, danger, danger!’ I doubt it that you had any trouble breathing." She spat back sarcastically.   
  
“You don’t remember do you?" He asked, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at her once again.   
  
“Remember what?"   
  
“Walking into my Da’s bookshop for the first time." He replied and she frowned. “You didn’t see me, I was stacking up some books in the back while you were talking to Da." He paused and looked at her intensely as he continued: “But I saw you." He breathed. “You’re hair was longer then, less wavy" His hand hovered around his head as he spoke: “and you had it pinned up in messy bundle. You wore a light-blue summer dress. The one the whelp ruined last year when he spilled his lunch all over it."   
  
Buffy simply stared at him, her mouth partially open as she listened to him.   
  
“I couldn’t get my eyes off you. I remember you giggled at something my Da said. Don’t remember what, I just remember feeling as if someone had just punched me in the stomach. You said something back and then you were gone." He spoke calmly as he started to move away from her. “I wondered if I was ever gonna see you again and sure thing, next day there you were, standing in the middle of the courtyard with Red…" He chuckled a bit as a memory seemed to come to him. “Remember it took me practically the entire break to get the courage to come over to talk to you. When I finally did, Peaches suddenly pranced into the picture. You just gawked at him like he was God’s gift to womankind." He felt his stomach turn at the memory. “You might have been together for just three mouths, but you had your eye set on him even back then. I guess I hated the poof even before the Andrew thing." He smirked and shook his head. “So, I did whatever normal fifteen year-old kid does to call a girl’s attention. I embarrassed you in front of the entire student body. Made a lasting impression."   
  
He took in a deep breath as started walking around the isle, running his fingers over the white surface:   
  
“Then I met Dru. She was like no one else. She was dark and wild, but at the same time frail and weak. It felt good to feel wanted… needed." He stopped and looked up at her and chuckled a bit.   
  
His eyes were unfocussed as he remembered the past.   
  
“Come to think about… she knew. Dru… She knew you had a hold on me even before I did. Every time I said something about you she would go into one of her madcap, screw-loose episodes. She’d start babbling and rambling, making even less sense than she usually did. Saying that you were going to take me away from her. That you were a thief and that you were going to steal me from her." He smiled and looked up at Buffy. “I just thought she was nuts. I was *so* sure I hated you. Everything about you made my entire body scream. I thought it was out of anger and hatred. Turns out it was lust and wanting." He paused and stared straight into her eyes. “I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you… but I only fell in love with you when you kissed me. That kiss in the library had me spinning for days on end."   
  
Buffy seemed to be frozen in place as he began walking towards her, shortening the distance between them until he was towering in front of her once again.   
  
“You might not believe it… but I do love you." He whispered, running his thumb over her paled cheek; her eyes wide, staring up at him. He smiled and let his hand drop at his side. “Well, I better go, pet."   
  
The sight of him walking around her seemed to snap her out of her daze. She shook her head and turned around.   
  
“Where are you going?"   
  
“Home. My Da must be going up the walls by now." He replied as he began to walk away again.   
  
In a flash, he felt a hand on his arm turning him around and before he knew it he was being slammed against the frige; Buffy’s mouth pressed against his in a demanding kiss. It took him a few seconds to react to the warm body brushing against his naked torso, but soon his hands wrapped around her small form and his lips parted, granting her the needed access to deepen the kiss. Buffy moaned into his mouth when he swept her off her feet and she suddenly found herself pinned against the refrigerator door. They battled for dominance. Buffy’s hands flew everywhere, roaming up and down his body until they settled around his neck.   
  
Spike gasped when she suddenly jumped against him, skilfully wrapping her legs around his waist before tearing her mouth from his to gasp:   
  
“Stay." She said between pants as she stared down at him, panting. Her pupils were dilated to a ridiculous extent and, for a second, it looked like she had ebony eyes.   
  
“But my Da’s…"   
  
She let her fingers trail between his unruly curls, her other hand brushing down his back.   
  
“Please, stay." She breathed, tightening her grip around his waist and consequently rubbing her pelvis against his.   
  
His eyes rolled back in their sockets and he had to swallow hard before he could speak.   
  
“Ok."   
  
She let out a sigh of relief and eagerly leaned in to kiss him but he pulled back. At her frown, he explained:   
  
“I better call him first, though." He managed to say.   
  
Instinctively, she pouted, her lower lip jutting out as her eyebrows came together high on her forehead for a painful frown.   
  
“It’ll only take a second. I promise." He guaranteed her.   
  
Reluctantly, she let her feet drop to the floor and pulled away from his embrace, standing still in the middle of the kitchen as she watched him walk over to the phone. He picked up the receiver, his eyes leaving hers for a second as he dialled the familiar number. He waited a beat, his gaze returning to her, to see her nervously fidget with the edge of the sweater. She looked so cute when she did that.   
  
He was snapped out of his thoughts when someone picked up the phone on the other side of the line.   
  
“Hey, Da? Yeah… it’s me. I-I know, I’m sorry." There was a moment of pause as he listened to his father rant. “I know. I said I’m sorry… Um… no, I was… um…" More silence. “No, everything’s fine. I’m at Buffy’s. Yes, she’s ok too." His hand instinctively went through his dishevelled curls as he continued the conversation. “No… um… actually I was thinking of staying here. Yeah, sleep over. Is that ok?"   
  
Buffy’s grip on her sweater tightened as she waited for a reaction from Spike. It took a while as he remained silent.   
  
“Oh… um… I know, I left in a hurry and I forgot to take a shirt…" His eyes wandered over the room as he thought of a solution. His gaze finally fell over Buffy’s waving form.   
  
“You can borrow some of my dad’s old things." She whispered from the kitchen.   
  
“Buffy says I can borrow one of her dad’s old shirts." Spike paused once more. “Well… da, I don’t know why they still have clothes of Buffy’s father around the house." He frowned at Buffy, shrugging. Was his father acting jealous? Weird. “Ok, then… Don’t worry. I’m not gonna get into trouble. Ok, Da. See you tomorrow." He paused and rolled his eyes as he listened to his father give him the usual stuttered warnings. “Ok, goodnight, Da. Bye. Ok! I got it! Night!" Finally he was able to set the receiver back in its place.   
  
“So, you can stay?" Buffy asked nervously as she leaned on the isle.   
  
“Yeah… But just cause we don’t have school tomorrow." Spike replied, his hands digging into the back pockets of his jeans.   
  
For some strange reason he felt nervous. Very nervous. Well, maybe it wasn’t strange, considering he had just told Buffy he loved her a few times now and she hadn’t said anything back. He swallowed hard and tried to push back the thought.   
  
“So…" He started.   
  
“So…" She repeated; the butterflies in her stomach and the knot in her throat making it almost impossible to speak.   
  
There was silence until Spike finally spoke:   
  
“When’s you’re mom coming back?"   
  
“Tomorrow afternoon." Buffy quickly replied with an anxious smile. “She called to say goodnight before I went to… your house and…" She trailed off; her pathetic attempt to fill in the soundless moment turning against her.   
  
“Yeah…" He muttered.   
  
Silence.   
  
“You’re dad… Was he ok? I mean, I-I’m sorry we woke him up and…"   
  
“He’s ok. He was kinda worried about me going out half naked." Spike supplied, outstretching his arms, showing his current state of undress.   
  
“Yeah…"   
  
“Yeah…"   
  
When the silence became too much to bare Buffy pushed herself off the isle and started walking towards the hall.   
  
“We better go…" She said pointing up the stairs.   
  
Spike nodded and followed her up. They reached the room and the awkward stillness hovered around them as Buffy moved about the room, Spike simply stood back as if waiting for instructions.   
  
“I’m just gonna go…" She finally spoke, clinging to her towel and pointing at the door. “Take a shower."   
  
“Oh, ok." Spike nodded.   
  
She was about to leave when she stopped in her tracks.   
  
“Do you want something to sleep in…? You know, shirt, shorts? I-I can go to the basement to get them." Buffy stammered slightly.   
  
“No, I’m fine."   
  
Buffy nodded.   
  
“I’ll be right back." She breathed before exiting the room.   
  
Spike let out a deep breath and let his body drop limply onto the bed. What was he doing? Why had he said it? Stupid, stupid, stupid! It was obvious she wasn’t ready to take that step. He was pressuring her. Stupid!   
  
“Me and my big mouth…" He muttered as he stared up at the ceiling, regretting ever having brought up the subject.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy let the warm water run down her back as she faced the wall, her forehead leaning on the cold tile, while her hands rested on the faucets.   
  
Her heart was still racing, her mind swirling with the events of that evening. Goosebumps spread over her flushed skin as she remembered what he had told her back in the kitchen. The thought of him wanting her for all that time sent a shiver of feminine pride over her entire body as her cheeks turned bright red.   
  
She shook her head, turning off the water and gathering her hair between her hands to twist it. She wrapped the towel around her soaked form and walked over to the mirror. One trembling hand came into contact with the cold surface of the mirror, brushing away the small droplets of condensed water in order to see her reflection. She stared at herself as all the memories flooded her mind. Form the first time she had seen him to the day of their infamous pact. A smile crept over her lips as she remembered her reluctance to kiss him. A giggle escaped her parted lip at the memory of him hiding between her sheets as her mother walked into the room. Her heartbeat increased as she remembered the day in the classroom, when they had been caught making out on the teacher’s desk. She stood there for a few moments, replaying every single moment since then. It seemed so far away; a world away. She couldn’t picture her day-to-day without him at her side. It seemed almost absurd.   
  
With a long sigh and a confident smile she turned around and walked out of the bathroom.   
  
Author’s Note: Sorry it took so long you guys. Just had this major case of the WB. But I think it’s gone now. I’m pretty sure where I’m going with this story. Not too many chapters to go though.   
  
PS: Thanks so much for your feedback guys. You were really sweet and it really helped me with my WB. ;) LOL   
  
Chapter 46   
  
She clutched the damp towel against her chest, her clothes bunched under her arm, as she walked slowly; the sloshing sound of her wet feet in her plastic flip-flops following her down the empty hall. She stopped when she reached the white door, taking in a deep breath and pressing her lips together before she silently turned the knob. A smile crept its way onto her lips when she saw him lying on the bed; the soft moonlight coming from the open window painting his bare chest in tones of blue. His feet were firmly planted on the floor while his torso lay sprawled on the mattress, left arm resting at his side while his right one was folded over his face, partially covering it, revealing only his lips and chin.   
  
Soundlessly, she pushed the door open, taking off her flip-flops and pushing them aside before tip-toeing her way into the bedroom. She stood motionless near her desk for a few moments with her clothes still under her arm as she contemplated him. He stirred a bit, mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath, his left hand clutching the bedspread under him for a second before relaxing. Buffy frowned a bit and bit back the chuckle that rumbled in her chest. Silently, she moved closer to the desk, dropping her clothes on the chair before her fingers danced over the wooden surface, blindly searching for the small box she knew was in the back, up against the wall. She took it into her hands when she finally found it and popped the lid open. She hissed when she saw him move abruptly out of the corner of her eye.   
  
“Buffy?" He mumbled with a hoarse voice, blinking a couple of times; his eyes having some difficulty to focus on the small figure standing five feet away from him.   
  
His fingers pressed against his eyelids for a few seconds before he looked back at her to find her fidgeting with something around her neck.   
  
“Buffy?" He asked again.   
  
“Hey." She whispered a bit breathless as she struggled with her task.   
  
“What are you doing?" He questioned, still a bit dizzy. He had been lost somewhere between slumber and awareness. His mind wandered over the events earlier that evening and he had decided that it had definitely been a mistake to have told her. Maybe it was too soon. He should have just kept his mouth shut. ‘Definitely should have kept my stupid gob closed.’ He scolded himself mentally.   
  
“Nothing." She answered, letting her hands drop at her sides; her palms brushing against the white fabric of the towel that covered her thighs.   
  
There was a moment of silence as Buffy closed the box once again, putting it away.   
  
“Um…" Spike started as she moved. “Maybe staying here wasn’t such a good…" He trailed as she turned on the lamp at her desk. “…idea." He finished, his eyes staring at her.   
  
A soft fiery glow filled the room. It was very weak but enough to highlight her soaked form. She stood in front of him, her hands resting over her chest. Her small fingers were tightly wrapped around the bunched up edge of the towel. The white fabric dangled all the way down to her knees leaving the lower part of her legs exposed. A ghost of a smile curled the corners of her mouth as her wet blonde threads trailed down the side of her face; a few lazier strings clinging to her damp skin. As he glanced at her bare neck, he realised what she had been struggling with when he found, curling around it, the thin necklace her had given her for Christmas. He couldn’t help but smile.   
  
“I was starting to think you’d lost it. Haven’t worn it in a while." He murmured in a low voice.   
  
“Decided to save it for special occasions." She replied as she picked up her jeans and starting folding them before putting them away in her closet.   
  
Spike’s gaze followed her everywhere as she moved about the room. He shook his head and ran his left hand through his dishevelled hair before saying:   
  
“Look, Buffy, maybe I shouldn’t be here." He started as she came to stand by the desk. “My Da might be worried and I really should g-“ He was cut short when he saw the towel pool down to the floor leaving her bare-naked in front of him, the only item on her was the amber necklace around her neck. He shook his head lightly, blinking comically a couple of times before clearing his throat to finish his sentence. “…Sh-should go." She took a few of steps towards him until she was standing about a foot away from him.   
  
“Or maybe not?" She offered impishly.   
  
“O-Or maybe not." Spike repeated with some effort as his eyes roamed over her exposed body.   
  
His gaze lowered, following her as she knelt in front of him. Her small hands came to rest on his denim-covered knees, tracing tiny circles there before roaming upwards to press against his bare chest. When he wouldn’t move she pushed a bit, forcing him to lie back on the mattress. His eyes never left her as her thin fingers traced a sinuous path back down his torso, across his abdomen, over his thighs until they returned to their original starting point – his knees. Her hands pushed them apart so she could slither her body between them.   
  
Quickly, she worked on the laces of his boots and soon they were off. The next object of her attention was the fastening of his jeans. Her index finger dipped under the waistband of the rough material, popping the top button open and slithering deeper inside to pop-open the next one.   
  
She could hear his breath catching in his throat as he desperately tried to control his breathing. His hips moved at their own volition, blindly following her hands, searching for the much needed contact, but she avoided it expertly. When all the buttons were undone, her fingers abandoned the area to grasp the edge of his jeans. She looked up at him, waiting. He seemed to be a bit dazed for a few seconds, probably pondering over the loss of her touch but, eventually, he realised what she wanted and he lifted his hips. Slowly, she pulled at the denims off and after a moment they were dismissed to the floor, next to his boots.   
  
By now, his breath was coming in rapid and short gasps. He had stopped trying to control his breathing, realising he had lost the battle as he watched her fingers wandering over his bare legs, sketching strange patterns on their way up his body. He swallowed hard when he saw her rise up on her knees before crawling up his body. With one hand on either side of him, one knee positioned between his thighs, and pressing against the mattress she let her head drop, her warm tongue slipping out to trace one single straight line that went from his navel to his collarbone.   
  
Instinctively, his hands came to gasp her hips but, before they could make contact with her body she grasped his wrists, shaking her head slightly and giving him a scolding look before bringing his hands over his head and pressing them against the soft bedspread. Her head dipped over his shoulder and she whispered:   
  
“No touching."   
  
Her tongue flickered across his earlobe before wandering across his neck. He arched backwards, exposing his throat to her as he shut his eyes in a vain attempt to control the urge to grab her and roll her over. A moan escaped his lips as her tongue circled his Adam’s apple, playing with it for a few seconds before dipping between his collarbones.   
  
He was completely lost in the feeling when he heard her breathe:   
  
“Scoot…"   
  
“Huh…?" He mumbled his voice hoarse, his eyes still dazed.   
  
“Move up." She repeated, as she pointed towards the headboard of the bed.   
  
“Oh…" He nodded, propping himself up on his elbows and slouching back until his entire body was laying on the bed.   
  
She crawled after him and her mouth quickly returned to his chest. She trailed a series of open-mouth kisses down his bare torso; occasionally letting her teeth lightly scrap the skin, her tongue quickly following to lap against the tender flesh. She felt the desire inside her grow as he twisted and moaned under her ministrations; his hands fisting into the bedspread.   
  
She looked up to see him with his eyes tightly shut, the chiselled lines of his face heightened as he clenched his teeth. He groaned when her tongue circled his navel before diving in.   
  
God! This was paradise! It had to be. It was amazing just how much he wanted this girl. Not even an hour ago they were in his bed, having sex, and now it felt like she hadn’t touched him in years. His mind dwelled on the strange intensity of his attraction for her when suddenly everything went blank. His eyes shot open and he glanced down to find her head dipped between his legs, her tongue tracing small circled on his inner thigh. ‘Oh God, is she gonna… Oh…’   
  
He felt the air choke in his throat as he held his breath waiting. He propped himself up on his elbows so he could see her. What was she…?   
  
He opened his mouth to speak but the sound refused to come out. He tried again and once again he failed as her tongue came dangerously close to his groin. Wetting his lips, he made one last effort:   
  
“Wha-“ He panted and shut his eyes for a second in search of control. “What are you–" He gasped when her tongue flickered across his cock. He was about to speak again but found it impossible as she licked her way up his length, this time applying more pressure.   
  
His eyes rolled back in their sockets, his fingers digging into the covers.   
  
Seeing his face contort in pleasure she became bolder and her lips came into play, brushing against his soft skin while her tongue moved between them in languid, lazy circles. She covered his cock with wet kisses, successfully avoiding the bulging tip as her hands caressed his hips.   
  
She glanced upwards to see him with his head lolling sideways, his mouth partially open. She nervously glanced away when their gazes met and returned her attention to the task at hand. It was too much to handle.   
  
“Oh, God Buffy… please…" She heard him mewl.   
  
The guttural need in his voice sent a chill down her body, straight to the stop were her legs came together. Without thinking, she scrapped her teeth against the tender skin at the tip of his cock.   
  
“Christ!" Spike hissed thrusting his hips.   
  
Buffy’s head mimicked the motion, jolting back a bit, her eyes immediately searching his face for any sign of pain.   
  
“Did I hurt –“ She started to ask a bit worried.   
  
“No, no." He immediately denied, shaking his head vehemently. “You’re just perfect. So bloody perfect! P-please don’t stop." He begged her under hooded eyes.   
  
She was still a bit hesitant but she returned to her task. He jumped up again as her tongue finally flickered over the slit at the top of his cock. She looked up to make sure there was nothing but pleasure on his face and found him clenching his teeth, his eyes tightly shut in an effort to keep from moving.   
  
Spike waited anxiously, but nothing had prepared him for when her hot lips encircled tip of his cock and she let his hard length slip inside her willing mouth. His eyes shot open, his lips parting to let out a long repressed gasp when she started sliding up and down, her cheeks being slightly sucked in in each upward motion.   
  
“Oh, fuck!" He growled as he watched her head bob up and down. “Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck." He chanted over and over again as his hand came attentively to rest on the back of her head.   
  
He knew he wasn’t going to last more than twenty seconds if she didn’t stop. He didn’t want this to end so quickly. ‘Not yet, not yet.’   
  
“Buffy, please… you gotta…" His fingers threaded themselves between her soaked blonde locks. “Oh, Christ!" He grunted as she sucked harder. “Fuck- Buffy please… stop."   
  
The moment he said the word her mouth was off him and he almost screamed at the loss of contact.   
  
“Y-you don’t… like it?"   
  
The fear and hesitation in her voice made him want to kick himself.   
  
“What?!" His eyebrows came together for a deep frown. “Of course I do. W-why wouldn’t I?" He questioned back.   
  
“I-It’s just that- I-I never did… this." She said, her gaze dropping for a second.   
  
Spike felt like his heart stopped. ‘She never… Angel never…?’ A rush of pride washed over him. He was the first to… His trail of thought was lost when she suddenly stood up and dropped to the floor to grasp her towel.   
  
“What…? Where are you…?" He was completely lost. His mind was still dwelling over the fact that she had never gone down on anyone. And he was her first.   
  
Before he knew it, she was out the door.   
  
Scrambling off the bed he quickly followed her, only catching up with her when she was already half way down the stairs, the towel tightly wrapped around her small frame.   
  
“Buffy, would you just stop for a bleeding second?" He asked after her as she stomped her way into the kitchen. “Ok, this is definitely becoming a lousy habit of ours."   
  
When she looked up at him quizzically he explained:   
  
“I feel like I’ve been running after you all bloody night. And I’m getting pretty tired of it." He growled.   
  
“Well, no one’s forcing you to be here. You’re more than welcome to leave." She snapped at him, waving her hand towards the backdoor of the kitchen.   
  
She felt a pang in her chest when she saw him narrowing his eyes at her, his teeth clenched together before he turned on his heels and jogged up the stairs. Not even a minute later she heard the loud thumping of footsteps coming downstairs.   
  
She glanced to see him walk into the room; his jeans partially buttoned up and the laces of his boots undone.   
  
“Do you still have your Da’s old shirts?" He asked; his voice cold and distant.   
  
Buffy was shocked into silence. He was leaving?   
  
“Summers?" He called out.   
  
The sound of her surname on his lips made her stomach twist painfully. He was really leaving.   
  
“Y-you’re leaving?" She questioned in a weak voice.   
  
“That’s what you want, right?"   
  
“No!" Buffy answered immediately.   
  
“A second ago you were telling me to leave. Will you just make up your bloody mind?" He shouted.   
  
There was no answer. The two stood still in the kitchen, eyeing each other.   
  
Suddenly, he moved, walking briskly towards the backdoor of the kitchen. He was about to turn the knob when he heard her gasp.   
  
“Stay." The urgency in her voice made him stop. When he wouldn’t turn around to face her, she added: “I-I want you to stay."   
  
Slowly, he turned around and leaned on the door.   
  
She stared up at him, her fingers lingering over her chest as she nervously tapped at her collarbone. He let out a long sigh of frustration.   
  
“I’m tired, Buffy." He started as he pushed himself off the door. “I’m tired of having to chase after you all the time. Of having to prove everything I feel for you is real all the time. The whole time I’m chasing after you trying to put to rest all your fears and doubts about my feelings, while you…" He shook his head, his hand running through his hair. “What about my doubts? My fears?"   
  
“What fears?"   
  
“What? You think I don’t worry about you still having feeling for Peaches?"   
  
“I-“ She tried to deny it but was cut off.   
  
“You say you don’t, but that doesn’t…" He paused. “You were making *googly* eyes at him since the ninth grade, for fuck’s sake." Another beat, but before she could say anything he continued: “Do you think I don’t have insecurities about this whole thing. Especially with you two having major make out scenes in a stupid play. And by the way, I never thought I could hate that play as much as I hate it right now!" The anger slowly boiled inside of him, causing him to raise his tone. “I feel like my gut is being twisted inside out every time he’s anywhere *near* you but do I say anything? No! I don’t say a thing because I trust *you*." An accusing finger came to point at her. “I trust *us* even though you don’t spend half the time chasing after me the way I do after you!"   
  
“I’m a girl!" She argued.   
  
“And?!"   
  
“Me girl, you boy. Boy chase girl." Her finger stupidly moved between the two of them as she illustrated her overly simplistic logic.   
  
“Oh, well maybe this boy is tired of chasing." He replied.   
  
Buffy froze in place and the moment he said the words he regretted them.   
  
“Fine, then go chase after someone else. Some undead-wannabe." She was about to turn around when she heard him:   
  
“See, *this* is what I’m talking about." She stopped. “When will you get it through that thick, over-bleached skull of yours that I don’t want Dru? I want you." He practically growled. “I love *you*."   
  
She felt her heartbeat double. It seemed amazing, but she was sure she would never get enough of hearing him say that.   
  
“Why don’t you believe me? Why-“   
  
He was cut short when he suddenly found himself lost between her arms, her mouth coming to crash against his in a demanding kiss. He was stunned at first; the feel of her body against him making it impossible to think. All he had to do was tug at her towel and she would be naked.   
  
‘No!’ He scolded himself. He couldn’t do this. Not again. Every time they had a fight it ended up with them having sex. Not this time. He wasn’t giving her the easy way out. He was about to push her away when she abruptly jumped up, the towel hitching up as she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. ‘Ok, this is making it a little bit harder.’ He thought as she rubbed herself against him, her tongue pushing past his lips to invade his mouth.   
  
“Buffy…" He mumbled tearing his mouth from her for a split second.   
  
“Shhh---“ She shushed him.   
  
“We have to.... mmmm… talk. We can’t just-“ He tried to speak, but the way she was wiggling against him, her smiling lips hungrily searching for his. “Buff-“   
  
“Shut up you idiot." He was about to protest at the insult, when she pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. “I’m trying to tell you I’m in love with you, too." She breathed.   
  
Author’s Note: I know, I know. Evil, evil, evil to leave it there, but it’s two o’clock in the morning here and I have to be up early tomorrow morning to study. I know, weird huh? I’m one of those alien students that are unable to pull an all-nighter if their lives depended on it. So I wake up at eight am to study. Duh?   
  
Chapter 47   
  
She stood perfectly still, a ghostly smile lingering on her lips as she watched the myriad of emotions being played out on his face. The dominant one – awe. He stared wide-eyed at her; his stare glassy, his dilated pupils leaving little room for the shimmering blue in his iris. She felt her heartbeat double at the sight. It was amazing just how innocent and vulnerable he looked at that moment. It scared her to a certain extent to think that just those words could have such a strong effect on him.   
  
Her smile faded and was replaced with a frown when she saw the change happen in his eyes just before he shut them tightly.   
  
She inhaled deeply before breathing:   
  
“I lov-“   
  
“Don’t say it." His voice was a mere whisper but enough to make the frown over her eyebrows grow deeper. “You don’t have to say it, Buffy." He continued, opening his eyes to look at her.   
  
“Spike, what are you…"   
  
“You don’t have to say it just because I said it. If-“ He felt his voice faltering a bit and he swallowed hard once again before forcing the words out: “Don’t say it if you don’t feel it."   
  
Buffy remained frozen; her arms and legs still wrapped around him as he held her in his arms.   
  
After a few seconds of silence he let his head bow and made a move to put her down but her legs pressed harder against his waist:   
  
“I love you." She said in a weak, a hint of fear pooling into her voice.   
  
That seemed to capture his attention as he looked up at her. Was that hope in his eyes?   
  
“I’m not saying it because I feel pressured. I-I’m saying it because that’s what I feel." She paused, taking a moment before staring into his eyes. “I. Love. You." She punctuated each word, holding onto him tighter.   
  
There seemed to be no reaction coming from him. He just continued to stare at her with glassy eyes.   
  
“D-didn’t you hear what I-“   
  
She wasn’t able to finish the sentence as her mouth was suddenly covered with his in a desperate kiss. His grip on her waist became almost painful as he pressed her small form against his chest, trying frantically to bring her closer to him. His tongue hungrily pushed its way between her lips to explore her mouth. Buffy felt the wind being knocked out of her at the urgency of the kiss, but she matched his eagerness, letting her tongue passionately duel with his.   
  
Her grip on the back of his neck grew tighter as she felt him start to move and stumble.   
  
Spike moaned as he tripped over his boot’s laces. Thankfully, he managed to keep his balance long enough to reach the nearby isle. The moment he placed her safely on the white surface, his hands abandoned her waist and hips and tugged at the towel that was fastened tightly around her until it pooled down around her to reveal her naked form.   
  
He tore his mouth from her with a moan and trailed hard kissed down her cheek and neck while one hand ran up her back to worm itself into her soaked hair.   
  
Her mind raced, bringing back to her the memory of their first encounter on that same room, that same isle. It seemed so long ago, so much had changed since then. They had grown closer, found trust, found… love yet, so much remained the same - the passion, the heat between them still burning and all-consuming.   
  
“Ah!" Buffy gasped her eyes shooting wide-open to meet the white ceiling of the kitchen as his mouth found its way to her one of her breasts; his lips roughly tugging at an already erect nipple.   
  
His free arm encircled her, resting on her lower back for a second before abruptly tugging her closer to him, causing her spine to arch back, her breast being thrust against his hungry mouth while her legs were forced further apart, allowing his hips to nestle between them. Buffy shut her eyes, swallowing hard when she felt the harsh denim rub against her swollen clit.   
  
Her heartbeat raced, her breath came in short, burning pants as he abandoned one breast to assault the other. She had never seen him like this… so hungry, so… desperate for her.   
  
Her trembling hand moved over his abdomen, before diving between their bodies, blindly searching for some room to work on the fastening of his jeans. Thankfully, he hadn’t buttoned them all the way up and after a few gruelling seconds they were undone and her other hand came into play. She gripped the denim and tugged it down, having to occasionally to stop and gasp when Spike’s ministration made it impossible to continue. Eventually, when his jeans were halfway down his hips she gave up and her small hand found its way to his groin.   
  
She felt his warm, sharp breath on her breast when her fingers encircled his cock and brought it to brush against her wet entrance. His forehead rested over her collarbone, his eyes tightly shut as she continued to tease him, holding him off when he tried to trust against her. Once, twice, thrice she denied, him until he gripped her wrist and forced her to let go of him.   
  
With one hand around her back, the other holding her wrist, he looked up to meet her gaze before twisting his hips.   
  
Buffy’s eyelids fell close and her mouth open when the tip of his cock brushed against her clit. He continued to move in slow circles around the sensitive nubbin.   
  
“Spike… please…" She begged; her facial muscles contracting painfully, her wrist trying to twist itself free from his grip as the desire became almost impossible to bear. “P-“   
  
She held her breath when she felt him slide down and position his cock at her opening. She opened her eyes to see him drop his mouth to her shoulder, kissing it lightly. His tongue was tracing small circles over her exposed flesh when suddenly he pushed forward, driving his cock all the way into her with one swift trust of his hips.   
  
“Ah!" She cried out, throwing her head back at the feel of him stretching her inner walls.   
  
When he released her hand to grasp her hips her nails dug deep into his back.   
  
He never gave her time to recover as he started thrusting in and out of her, quickly building up to a fast, urgent rhythm. His mouth searched for her neck and when it found its goal his lips pulled and twisted the quickly reddening skin into ravenous open-mouth kisses.   
  
Buffy’s nails trailed down his back, leaving flaming scarlet tracks behind that would certainly still be there in the morning. Her hands cupped two perfectly toned cheeks when they reached his ass, urging him to push harder and faster into her.   
  
The sound of flesh slapping against flesh combined with their hungry groans and painful mewls filled the tiled room as Spike continued to pound into her.   
  
Buffy was a little thrown when she felt his hands push her back. She resisted at first, not wanting to let go of him.   
  
“Lay back." He asked into her ear between harsh pants as he stopped moving.   
  
Letting out a frustrated mewl she did as Spike asked while his hands remained on her hips. The moment her shoulder-blades came into contact with the cold surface of the isle he moved again.   
  
Buffy eyes went wide at the feel of him inside of her in the new position. His cock was angled just the right way to hit the perfect spot inside her. He slowly slipped out of her and then back in, causing her to cross her eyes and open her mouth at the intense feeling that started building inside of her. He glided out one more time and paused. Buffy looked up at him to see the lust flooding his gaze for just a moment before he suddenly thrust hard into her.   
  
“Oh, God!" She practically yelled as he started pounding into her with earnest once again; each stab causing the pressure to rapidly build inside her. Her hands blindly moved over the flat surface, desperate to cling to something.   
  
“Buffy…" He groaned.   
  
Spike was forced to close his eyes, clenching his jaw, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard, trying to erase the image of Buffy screaming in front of him, sprawled on top of the isle, her small breasts bouncing erratically with each sharp, rapid trust of his hips.   
  
“Oh, God, Spike!" She repeated over and over again as she came closer and closer to finding her release. “Spike, I-I…" She drew one last gasp, her back arching off the isle and as she felt her entire body start quivering the words tumbled breathlessly from her mouth: “I love you."   
  
The small sentence was enough to send him over the edge. His grip on her hips tightened; the energy that coursed through him making it almost impossible to breathe.   
  
As the powerful effects of the orgasm drifted and were replaced by a perfect numbness Buffy looked up with hooded eyes to see Spike’s body jerk one last time, his mouth partially open, his eyes closed. She gathered all her strength to prop herself up on one elbow and sit up. Her trembling arms found his waist and wrapped themselves around it while she rested her flushed cheek on his sweaty chest; his hand instinctively coming up to worm itself into her dishevelled hair.   
  
~+~   
  
She let out a soft moan and a frown took over her perfectly shaped eyebrows as an annoying sunbeam insisted on shining over her face. She mumbled something unintelligible, bringing her hand to cover her sensitive eyes, but it was no use, consciousness was approaching at a galloping speed and soon she was awake. The first thing she became aware of was the hard body that was sculpted against her back; one long, marble arm draped across her waist – a very male, very familiar marble arm.   
  
A ghost of a smile crept over her lips as she slowly turned in his embrace. When she was facing him, she squinted a bit and finally opened her eyes to be greeted by his sleeping form. The smile grew into a smirk as she watched him. His nose was slightly turned up as if he had dragged it over the pillow, his mouth partially open and untamed, bleached locks framed his pale face.   
  
Her gaze dropped to his exposed chest and she couldn’t help nuzzling against it. She inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. It was perfect. This was perfect.   
  
She lay in bed for a few more minutes, dwelling over the idea of waking him or not. She glanced at the alarm clock which read ten thirty in the morning. It was still early. Her mother wouldn’t be home until after lunch. It was only fair to let him sleep. God knew the energy he had spent the night before. The tenderness between her legs testified to it.   
  
Reluctantly, she rolled away from him and got up, but not before placing a soft kiss on his elbow. She glanced at his sleeping shape one last time before heading for the bathroom.   
  
~+~   
  
The warm, crystal drops raced down her back as she leaned her forehead on the cold tile. God, it felt good! She remained perfectly still as water soaked her tired body. After a few minutes she turned off the shower and reached for the large bottle of body wash, popping open the cap. She placed a considerable amount of the blue gel onto the palm of her hand and put the bottle back in its place. She pressed her hands together, generating a bit of foam before moving to spread the gel over her chest. She gasped when she suddenly felt him pressing against her back; her skin being covered almost instantly by goose bumps. She hadn’t even heard him come in.   
  
She remained perfectly still and silent as he stepped even closer, closing any remaining distance between them. But she wasn’t able to repress a gasp from escaping her parted lips when she felt something hard press against her ass. ‘Didn’t he have enough last night?’ She wondered. ‘Apparently, not!’   
  
In complete silence, she watched as one hand came from behind her to find hers, borrowing a bit of body wash before resting on her lean stomach. He drew small circles over the taunt muscles, massaging them carefully as his other hand joined in.   
  
She closed her eyes and savoured the feeling, swallowing hard when his fingers moved upwards to cup her breasts. A moan echoed in the room when his thumbs flickered over her nipples, causing them to grow even harder.   
  
After a while, his left hand abandoned its respective globe to trail down, over her belly, and dip into the small nest of curls at the apex of her thighs. She found herself forced to press her hand against the tiles of the wall opposite her to find balance when his middle finger slipped between her folds to circle the small nubbin it found there. When he made a move to slide further into her sore centre she instinctively pressed her thighs together.   
  
“Come on now, luv. Open up… Gotta make sure everything’s clean." She heard his hoarse voice in her ear; his warm breath against her skin as he pinched her nipple.   
  
She waited a few seconds, dwelling on her options, but when she felt him press against her clit once again her body made the choice for her as her thighs parted and gave him access.   
  
She could feel him smirk as his hand was now free to explore. Soon, her other hand was joining its twin up against the wall as he continued to slowly massage her tender flesh, avoiding her opening as much as possible. Suddenly, all contact was lost. The hand on her breast, the one between her legs, both gone.   
  
She opened her eyes to see his arm reaching for the showerhead, unhooking it while he turned on the water; his body pressing against her back as he reached for the faucet. After a few seconds, a warm spray of water was flowing against her breast, his free hand moving over her chest to help rinse the foam off. When her torso was completely clean his fingers drifter between her legs once again and proceeded with washing her.   
  
She bit her lip, her eyes closing once again as the jet of water hit her clit while his fingers parted her folds, moving from the back to the front and back again. She held her breath, her eyes shooting open as his finger lingered over her back opening for a few seconds before returning to her clit. He moved expertly, rolling the small bud into a frenzy, feeling it grow harder with each stroke until he heard her gasp, her head dropping; her legs starting to buckle under her. Instinctively, he put the showerhead back in its place and wrapped his hands around her holding her securely against his body.   
  
“You ok?" He asked from behind her.   
  
She nodded meekly, mumbling something incomprehensible.   
  
“Better get you all dry and warm." He murmured, moving to turn off the water when she swirled around and attacked his mouth.   
  
Her tiny fingers were suddenly wrapped around his cock and it was his turn to seek balance on the nearby wall as she started pumping him in earnest. He let his back press against the wall while her lips abandoned his to trail down to his neck.   
  
“I want you." She breathed.   
  
As the shower sprinkled water against their bodies, her leg came up to hook itself around his hip.   
  
“Buffy…" He swallowed hard when he looked down to meet her gaze and instead was greeted with the sight of her small hand working him hard. “Baby, you’re sore..." He managed to say after he closed his eyes.   
  
“I don’t care." She gasped as her hand abandoned him to meet its pair behind his neck. “I want you too much." She said before bringing her mouth to his for a ravenous kiss.   
  
His hands immediately grasped her hips and with one swift motion he turned them around. In a flash, Buffy found herself pressed between the wall and his wet chest, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as his cock nudged at her entrance causing her to hiss into his mouth.   
  
He immediately tore his lips away from hers.   
  
“Buffy, we better…"   
  
“I want to. Please." She begged.   
  
He kissed her again, sucking her lower lip into his mouth as he slowly moved his hips forward, his cock separating her labia to slip inside. Buffy’s facial muscles tensed, contracting to form a frown as she let out another hiss at the feel of him slowly pushing inside of her. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he moved.   
  
“It’s almost there…" He coaxed her as he abandoned her mouth to whisper in her ear. ‘Christ, so fucking tight!’   
  
It seemed to take forever to take him all the way in but eventually he was buried inside of her warmth and the pain cessed.   
  
“Are you ok?" He breathed.   
  
She nodded vehemently and kissed him. As their tongues battled, he started moving in and out of her and she moaned into his mouth. Soon, the feel of him stabbing that small spot on her inner wall made the pain almost disappear as her juices flowed freely, coating him, making it easier for him to slip inside her.   
  
“God!" He growled as he broke the kiss. “You’re so…" gasp “wet." Another sharp intake of air. “So tight." His teeth clenched hard as he pushed inside again.   
  
She clawed at his shoulder blades, her head arching back, her soaked locks clinging to the wall. With her throat completely exposed to his hungry mouth, he lapped at the small droplets that gathered at the hollow of her neck.   
  
They moved in a slow but desperate pace, her cheek occasionally slapping against the tile when he pushed harder into her.   
  
“Oh, god Spike! So good… it feels so…" She trailed off as his head dipped lower to capture one hard nipple into his mouth. “Ah!" She gasped when she felt his teeth scrap against it.   
  
The combination of his mouth over her breast and his cock moving inside her was enough to unleash the pressure that had been building inside of her. She came with a loud scream.   
  
It wasn’t long before Spike was quickly following behind her, his mouth abandoning her breast to mewl: “I love you, Buffy." before thrusting into her one last time.   
  
“I love you, too." She murmured as she watched his face contort in pleasure.   
  
After a few seconds, the energy seemed to have been completely sucked out of them and they found themselves slumping slowly to the floor. Buffy’s numb hand came up to turn off the water as it showered over them.   
  
They remained silent for a while, eyes closed, mouths partially open.   
  
Slowly, the strength returned to her weak limbs and she opened her eyelids to gaze at him. He sat with his back slouched against the tub.   
  
“Tired yet?" She asked with a smile when he looked at her with a frown.   
  
“Never." He replied with a smirk of his own.   
  
They gazed at each other for a moment before Spike finally spoke again:   
  
“When’s your mom coming home?"   
  
“After lunch." Buffy replied as her fingers danced over his wet chest.   
  
“I better get ready to go then…" He said in a weak voice. He really didn’t want to leave her.   
  
“I guess so." She uttered, her gaze dropping for a second before coming back up to stare at him mischievously. “But we still got a couple of hours."   
  
“God, you’re insatiable. I knew there was a reason why I love you." He growled before capturing her lips for another kiss.   
  
Author’s Note: And there you have it. All’s good in Spuffy land. Ah! Isn’t fanfic just a wonderful place? Wonderful, wonderful pink place. Love my pink place. Ah! I’m gonna miss this when it’s gone. It was such a great and light fic to write. Only three more chaps to go, make sure you enjoy them! ;)   
  
PS: Yollie Moon, I guess you finally get your shower scene. You asked for it over two months ago and finally it’s here. Hope you liked it! ;)   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 48   
  
Xander sat cross-legged on the stage, picking at his sneaker’s laces as he let out another long sigh.   
  
“Where is she?" Cordy asked in an annoyed tone as she paced around in front of the teen.   
  
“My guess is she’s not showing up… Again." Angel supplied.   
  
“Do you think something happened to her?" Buffy inquired from her spot in the front row.   
  
Everyone shrugged at the question. Two whole weeks had gone by and nothing, not one rehearsal. Miss Addams had managed to miss every single one. The group was growing weary by now. Only in Sunnydale could a teacher be missing for two and a half weeks without anyone even noticing.   
  
“I guess we better go then." Xander offered, trying to mask a satisfied grin.   
  
“Not yet. We’ve still got ten more minutes." The cheerleader insisted plopping down on a seat next to Buffy’s.   
  
“I don’t think she’s coming." Buffy spoke up again, her eyebrows coming together for a sad frown.   
  
“She *is* coming." Cordy growled crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
“Come on Cordy we’ve been coming here everyday for-“ Xander trailed off when he saw the small man walking briskly down the aisle to reach them. “Principal Snyder?"   
  
“Harris." The bald man practically spat.   
  
“How nice of you to join us." Xander started with mocking reverence. “We are so happy that our great-“   
  
“Don’t push me Mr. Harris." Snyder grumbled then, turning to the rest of the group announced: “There will be no play." And without another word he turned on his heels and prepared to leave when an inhuman screech made him come to a halt. He turned around to see an extremely pissed Cordelia standing, her hands fisted at her sides.   
  
“What do you mean – ‘there with be no play’?" She demanded as Buffy still stood up behind her.   
  
“Miss Addams will not be able to come back to school until next week which means there will be no time to get the play ready, hence the logical conclusion – no play." Snyder explained with arrogance and a hint of diabolical satisfaction.   
  
“Well, we’ll postpone then." Cordelia quickly offered.   
  
“Yes, we can postpone." Buffy agreed.   
  
“Miss Chase, Miss Summers…" The way he said her name made Buffy’s stomach turn. “…there is no way in hell I will let that happen. There is no time, no money and *personally* I have absolutely no desire to see this charade see the light of day. It’s pathetic enough as it is. No need to drag it out in public." With an aggravating smirk he prepared to leave once more when, in a flash, the angry cheerleader stalked up to him and towered over him, blocking his passage.   
  
“Listen you aggravating, little, hairless shell of a man, my *father* practically owns this entire school and that includes *your* sorry ass, so don’t you talk to us about money, cause all I have to do is say one word to my father and he will cut his generous founding of this sorry excuse for a school in a blink of an eye." She paused before adding. “This play *will* happen." She assured him.   
  
Everyone froze, including the small, bald man. After a few seconds he spoke:   
  
“Well… Miss Chase… I-if you put it that way… But we still have the issue of time."   
  
“We can have the play after Spring break, right before prom." Xander found himself saying.   
  
“Yeah." Angel supported as Buffy nodded.   
  
Snyder glared at him for a second and then spat:   
  
“Fine. We’ll schedule the play for the week before prom. Is that ok with you?" The man asked glaring up at the towering beauty in front of him.   
  
“That would be great." She replied haughtily.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy let her tired body plop onto the front seat of the old car as the door closed behind her.   
  
“Hey." She greeted, giving Spike a quick peck on the lips as she pulled the seatbelt around her.   
  
“Hey." He replied with a smile as he watched her run her hands through her hair before letting out a sigh.   
  
“No rehearsal again?" He asked.   
  
“Nope."   
  
“Whatever happened to Miss Addams?" He questioned as he turned the keys in the ignition and backed away from the parking lot.   
  
“Apparently, she got a really bad case of mono or something. That’s the latest rumour anyway." Buffy supplied, gazing out the window as they drove home.   
  
“Mono, huh?"   
  
“Yeah, but she’s fine now, I think. She’ll be coming back on Monday." She explained.   
  
“Oh." Spike mumbled trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.   
  
“We waited for an hour before Mr. Snyder came bursting in to announce there would be no more play."   
  
“No more play? Really?" Before he could help it, the excitement over the news spilled into his voice. To mask it he added: “Too bad. Why?"   
  
“Don’t pretend you’re not thrilled with that news." She half-scolded, narrowing her eyes at him and swatting him on the arm.   
  
“That obvious, huh?" He asked tilting his head, his eyes leaving the rode to look at her.   
  
“Blatantly so." She sighed. “But you can wipe that smirk off your face. The show will go on. When Snyder wanted to cancel the play Cordy got off her butt and decided to play super-hero. God, you should have seen her. She called him a little, hairless shell of a man." She giggled as she remembered.   
  
“That bird’s got stones, gotta hand it to her." Spike smirked turning the wheel.   
  
“Anyway, she threatened to ask her dad to cut all the funding of the school and obviously the little weasel backed down. The play has been postponed for the week before the prom." She explained.   
  
“What? You mean you’re going to have to smooch around with Angel till the end of the year?"   
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll ask Miss Addams to keep the smooching to a minimal. Plus, I don’t think we have to rehearse those scenes anymore. There are other ones we have to get around. You do remember there is more to Romeo and Juliet than smooching, right?" She asked.   
  
He grumbled something incomprehensible, frowning.   
  
“Spike…"   
  
“I know, I know…. He mumbled.   
  
After a few seconds he added:   
  
“I’m coming to your rehearsals from now on."   
  
“Spike!"   
  
“Just to make sure."   
  
“Spike…"   
  
“Oh, alright." He gave in just as he pulled into her driveway.   
  
They stepped out of the car and walked into the house.   
  
“You’re mom home?" He asked seemingly uninterested in the reply.   
  
“No."   
  
The smirk on his face grew twice as large and he added a mischievous glance as he moved closer to her. His arms came to wrap themselves around her waist but she suddenly swatted his hands away.   
  
“But she’ll be home any minute." She quickly added letting her backpack fall to the floor next to the couch.   
  
Spike’s leer crumbled at that and he let out a pitiful sigh as he watched her walk about the room in search of something.   
  
A few seconds passed as she continued to scan the room, looking under magazines and old clothes.   
  
“Where is that remote? It’s amazing. I seem to have a natural gift for losing that thing." She grumbled as she lifted one of the cushions that lay on the couch. “A-ha!" She said triumphantly letting herself plop down on the sofa.   
  
Spike joined her and the two stared at the TV for a few minutes. Soon he was sitting right next to her, one arm flung over the back of the couch, to rest on her shoulder and the other… Buffy’s stare left the screen to find his right hand resting on her bare knee. Her eyes alternated between him and his straying limb, but his gaze remained fixed on the TV set as if nothing was happening.   
  
She sighed and returned her attentions to the show. It didn’t last long, soon the infamous hand was making its way up her inner thigh, dipping under the hem of her summer dress and before she could protest his fingers brushed against the soft fabric of her underwear.   
  
“Spike… what are you d-“ She stopped in mid sentence when his finger pressed against her cotton-covered clit.   
  
His eyes finally left the screen to look at her as his hand wandered deeper between her legs and started rubbing harder against the apex of her thighs.   
  
Letting out a hard breath, she was able to reach for him, grabbing his wrist in a pathetic attempt to stop his ministrations.   
  
“Spike, my mom will be home any minute." She breathed harshly when his lips dove to find the crook of her neck.   
  
His reply made her gasp out loud when she felt his finger find the edge of her panties and bunch them up to one side. Her grip on his wrist became tighter.   
  
“Spike, no." She said without conviction as he traced the contours of her outer labia.   
  
She swallowed hard while he continued to touch her; his low voice in her ear:   
  
“Please, Buffy just for a little while…"   
  
By now she was laying on her back on the couch, Spike’s hard body draped over hers, his mouth buried in the nape of her neck, his hand...   
  
“Oh, God!" She mewled as his finger finally slipped into her and started moving in a slow, mind-blowing rhythm. “O-Ok, j-just for a little while…"   
  
By then, the hand which had been grasping his wrist was far from trying to halt his movements and was actually helping him to pump in and out of her.   
  
She arched her neck, letting her head fall over the edge of the couch as his mouth drifted lower over her chest. His free hand gripped one of the strings that held her dress and pulled it over her right shoulder, successfully exposing her breast to his tongue.   
  
Buffy held her breath and trust her hips against his hand when he added a second finger. The pressure inside her grew quickly as his teeth scratched against her nipple, his hand cupping the underside of her breast to guide the small pebble into his mouth. She clenched her jaw when she felt him start to move faster, his thumb flickering over her clit while his two fingers thrust hungrily into her.   
  
Her hand abandoned his wrist and dove between his curls, fisting itself into his hair, pushing his face against her breast.   
  
“Spike, I’m almost… Oh, God I’m gonna-“ Her eyes shot open when she heard the doorbell ring.   
  
Spike froze on top of her causing her to immediately gasp:   
  
“No, please don’t stop, please!" She begged him, reaching for his wrist again and urging him to go on.   
  
“But, Buffy, it could be your mom, she-“ He tried to warn her as he started moving his hand again.   
  
“Please!" She whispered as the doorbell rang again.   
  
Spike paused for a second and glanced at her flushed face. A leer appeared on his lips as his hand began to move faster and faster, his fingers incessantly stabbing the secret spot inside of her. His hand gripped her breast tighter and his teeth attacked her hardened nipple once again but, this time, his eyes never left her.   
  
He watched as her face contorted in pleasure while he sucked at her small nubbin, the ringing in the background becoming more constant and repetitive as she came closer to the edge.   
  
Finally, the ringing stopped and was replaced by the distant jingling of keys.   
  
The fear of knowing that her mother was on the other side of the door and could catch them at any moment made the adrenaline rush through her veins and when she felt a third finger being shoved into her she was gone. Her mouth fell over second before she clenched her jaw for a silent scream, her thighs trapping his hand in a deadly grip as she came.   
  
After a few seconds she felt her entire body go numb and all she wanted was to lay there forever but the sound of a metallic rattling coming from the other side of the door made her aware of her situation.   
  
“You better go upstairs. If your mom sees you like that it’ll take her about two seconds to figure out what just happened." Spike whispered with a soft smile as he helped her to her feet and directed her to the stairs.   
  
Buffy nodded numbly:   
  
“Tell my mother I went upstairs to take a shower?"   
  
It was Spike’s turn to nod as he watched her climb the stairs on wobbly legs. God, he loved seeing her come.   
  
The blonde teen adjusted the evident bulge in his pants, pulling his t-shirt out of his jeans to help cover it before he walked over to the door and opened it. As the wood slid back it revealed a confused Mrs. Summers struggling with a bundle of keys while trying to balance three large paper bags in her arms. She looked up to see Spike.   
  
“Spike? You two are home?" She wondered as she stepped into the house.   
  
“Sorry, Joyce. I was downstairs in the basement and Buffy’s upstairs taking a shower." Spike explained.   
  
“Oh." The older woman said nodding slightly as she walked into the kitchen then she came to a halt. “Spike?"   
  
“Yeah?"   
  
“What were you doing in the basement?"   
  
“Err…" His mind raced for an excuse. “Um… Buffy!" He started. “She thought she’d heard a mouse. She asked me to check it out."   
  
“Mice?" Joyce questioned worried.   
  
“Don’t worry. I didn’t find anything."   
  
“Oh, good." Mrs Summers replied relieved as she took the groceries out of the bags. “Spike, are you staying for dinner?"   
  
“I don’t know, my father-“   
  
“I talked to Rupert. He’s coming over later. I told him to call you at home to invite you, but since you’re here…"   
  
“Ok, in that case I’m staying." He smiled coming closer to the isle. “So is there anything I can help you with?"   
  
“Could you chop up a few onions?"   
  
“Sure."   
  
~+~   
  
“So…" Spike started, throwing a quick glance at the kitchen to check on their parents before turning his attention to the plates he was setting on the table. “…How was the shower, luv?"   
  
Buffy looked up at him with a content smile on her lips.   
  
“Wonderful." She replied snuggling against his chest when she finished placing the glasses.   
  
Her hands encircled his waist to meet and rested on his lower back as she nuzzled her face against his t-shirt.   
  
“I’m glad you liked it." He said, taking in her scent as he buried his nose in her hair. “Have you figured out what you want for your birthday next week?"   
  
At that he heard her groan against his chest.   
  
“Don’t remind me…"   
  
Spike frowned and pulled away to look at her for a second.   
  
“My birthdays have a tendency to… how shall I put it… suck intensely?"   
  
His eyebrows furrowed further. Buffy sighed once more and walked away to sit on the couch.   
  
“There seems to be this tradition. Something always goes wrong. First it was the hamster-“   
  
“Hamster?"   
  
“Present. Died the same day."   
  
“Oh, sorry." Spike replied sympathetically as he took a seat next to her.   
  
“Then there was the fire."   
  
“Fire?"   
  
“When I was thirteen I accidentally set my hair on fire when I went to blow out my candles."   
  
“Ouch."   
  
“Yeah, ouch." Buffy grumbled. “Then the divorce. My father decided the best day to leave my mom was on my birthday. So you see, not many good memories there."   
  
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry." Spike said apologetically as he leaned in to place a kiss on her temple.   
  
“It’s ok. I’ve gotten used to it."   
  
“Well, I promise you this will be the best birthday ever." Spike assured her.   
  
“Yeah, with my luck we are probably going to have a major fight and break up." Buffy pouted, crossing her arms over her chest like a spoiled child.   
  
“Oh, I promise, no fights. No matter how much you try."   
  
“I try?" She asked seemingly outraged.   
  
“You gotta admit all of our fights start because of you."   
  
“What?!" She questioned, turning to stare angrily at him   
  
“See, exhibit A right here." Spike pointed out.   
  
“You started it."   
  
“No I didn’t."   
  
“Yes, you did." She insisted.   
  
“Buffy." He murmured, tilting his head to the side and looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.   
  
“Don’t look at me like that." She pouted again.   
  
“Why not?"   
  
“I can’t stay angry at you when you look at me like that." She replied.   
  
“That’s the point." He smirked as she swatted him across the arm.   
  
“Dinner’s ready." Joyce announced as she walked into the room.   
  
~+~   
  
The week raced by and soon her birthday came. Buffy nervously looked at the oven, tapping her nails on the counter as she waited.   
  
“Is it ready yet?" She asked for the one-hundredth time.   
  
“No, it takes time, Buffy." Joyce replied as she chopped the salad.   
  
“Are you sure? I think it’s burning. I’m gonna have a carbonized birthday cake again." She pouted.   
  
“It’s not going to burn. I promise." Joyce assured her as the doorbell rang. “Now go open the door for your guests."   
  
“Just watch the cake, please." Buffy begged, throwing one last glance at the oven before walking out of kitchen.   
  
“Hey, Giles. Spike." She greeted as she answered the door.   
  
“Happy birthday." Giles replied handing her a perfectly wrapped box before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.   
  
“Thanks." She said letting the two men walk in.   
  
The shopkeeper blushed and stuttered as the two teens exchanged a kiss:   
  
“Well, I-I’ll go check on your mother." And with that he quickly disappeared into the kitchen.   
  
“Hey." Buffy breathed, resting her forehead on his.   
  
“Happy birthday, luv." He whispered back, taking a small box from the pocket of his duster and handing it to her.   
  
“Thank you." She smiled widely as she stepped away from him to glance at her gifts.   
  
She walked into the living room and left Giles’ present on the coffee table as she concentrated on Spike’s. She quickly unwrapped it to reveal white box. She glanced at him for a second before opening it. When she did, she found a thin metallic bracelet. Her fingers immediately when for the necklace she wore around her neck.   
  
“They match." She noted as she took the thin string from the box to place it around her wrist.   
  
“Like it?" He asked. She could swear there was a hint of nervousness in his voice.   
  
She looked up at him with a wide grin.   
  
“I love it. It’s beautiful." She breathed as she tried to put it on.   
  
“Here, let me help." He offered, taking the bracelet.   
  
“Where did you find one exactly the same?" She wondered.   
  
“They came together. I bought them at the same time." He replied absentmindedly.   
  
Her eyes went wide.   
  
“You bought me my birthday present in November?" She questioned a bit surprised.   
  
“Yeah." He said when he finally finished putting on the bracelet.   
  
“You bought me my birthday present in November?" She repeated.   
  
“Yes. Why are you so shocked?" He asked with a frown.   
  
“You brought me a present five months in advance?"   
  
“Yes, Buffy." He sighed.   
  
She just stared at him wide-eyed.   
  
A soft smile settled over his lips as his hand came to cup her cheek.   
  
“When will you get it through that thick skull of yours that I’m not letting go? I’m not going anywhere." He breathed before bringing her closer for a soft kiss.   
  
The two were forced to pull apart when the doorbell rang again.   
  
“This conversation isn’t over yet." Buffy assured him with a smile as she stood up and walked over to answer the door.   
  
“Happy birthday!" Willow and Xander shouted in unison and the two threw themselves on Buffy.   
  
“Guys… huh… guys… choking here." Buffy coughed.   
  
“Oh, sorry, sorry." Willow said overexcited as the two teens pulled way from her.   
  
“Happy birthday." Oz finally spoke as he walked in quickly followed by Cordelia.   
  
“Hey, Buffy." The cheerleader greeted unenthusiastically as she shoved a present in her direction. “From me and Xander."   
  
“Thanks, Cordy." Buffy said leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek, but the brunette quickly stepped away.   
  
“Erg, no kissing." She grumbled making a face.   
  
Buffy shook her head and greeted Oz.   
  
“It’s from me and Willow." The short teen said when he handed her a gift.   
  
“Thanks. Come in you guys. Spike’s in the living room." Buffy invited them giddily as she floated after them. Maybe this birthday wasn’t going to be that bad.   
  
  
  
Chapter 49   
  
“Anyway…" Cordelia huffed. “I’m actually glad I got to play the Nurse. Juliet is just *so* dull and annoying. Such a spoiled brat, so not me. I just wouldn’t be able to bring realism to that character." Cordy explained as she sipped from her glass.   
  
“Thanks, Cordy." Buffy replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.   
  
“What?" The cheerleader questioned raising an eyebrow when everyone at the table seemed to be shaking their heads.   
  
“So…" Giles, ever the diplomat, tried to change the subject: “The play seems to be back on track?"   
  
“Yeah, Miss Addams was back last week and rehearsal started where we had left off." Xander informed as he helped himself to another piece of cake when he suddenly received a sharp slap across his outstretched arm.   
  
He frowned and glanced up at Cordy before quickly withdrawing his offending hand.   
  
“Xander…" she scolded between clenched teeth. “You keep eating like that you’re not going to fit into your tuxedo for the prom."   
  
“Oh, come on Cordelia. Let the boy eat. He’s starving." Joyce stepped in picking up the teen’s plate and serving him a large piece of the birthday cake.   
  
The brunette didn’t reply simply gave her boyfriend a disgusted glance as she watched him shovelled the food into his mouth.   
  
“It’s gonna be a bit complicated with Spring break in the middle but Miss Addams thinks it won’t be a problem as long as we come back refreshed and ready for some major practicing." Buffy spoke up while she twirled the spoon in her hand.   
  
She was leaning partially against Spike’s chest and she smiled inwardly when she felt him tighten his grip over her shoulder. A wave of peace washed over her. This was exactly how she wanted it - a perfect birthday with her friends and family and no impending disasters. She was just sorry to see it come to an end.   
  
A comfortable silence filled the room; the only thing breaking it was the soft blues coming from the stereo until Joyce brought her hands together and stood up.   
  
“I better get these dishes into the kitchen." Turning to Giles she added: “Could you help me?"   
  
“We’ll do it." Willow quickly offered about to stand when Mrs. Summers’ hand on her shoulder halted her.   
  
“No, don’t be silly. You kids stay here. The oldies are going to worry about the dish-washing." The older woman assured her as she walked out of the room, hands filled with plates and glasses.   
  
Giles quickly trailed after her taking with him the rest of the dishes.   
  
“So…" Willow started: “What are you guys doing for the Spring break?" She asked overenthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.   
  
“Oh, shut up already! We all know that you and shorty here are going on a road trip up to San Francisco." Cordelia grumbled tilting her head towards Oz. She was tired of having to hear the redhead go on and on about the trip.   
  
“I still can’t believe your mom let you." Buffy said, a hint of envy slipping into her voice.   
  
“Yeah, a whole week, just the two of you." Spike joined in the melancholic tone.   
  
“Arg!" Cordy exhaled sharply, letting her head drop in frustration. “The horror of being apart during one whole week." She mocked and then added: “It’s just a stupid week, I’m sure you two aren’t going to die over it.   
  
Buffy ignored the cheerleader’s mockery and nuzzled her face into Spike’s chest.   
  
“Your father still set on having you visit the family in London, huh?" Oz spoke up.   
  
Spike nodded with a painful look on his face.   
  
“I don’t know why you guys can’t go during the summer." Buffy grumbled. “My mom has some vacation time coming and we’d be able to go with you." She ended her statement with a pout.   
  
“It’s not my fault your mom has to work during Spring break. You could come." He offered.   
  
At that Buffy immediately pulled away shaking her head vehemently.   
  
“Oh, no! I’m not going to face ‘the family’ alone."   
  
“You make us sound like the mafia." Spike defended himself.   
  
Willow giggled at that. The two blondes didn’t seem to be able to stop fighting… ever.   
  
“Well, we better get going." Cordelia suddenly said, but not before faking a long yawn.   
  
Xander shook his head at his girlfriend’s lack of tact. ‘She’s definitely the world’s worst actress., he thought, glancing at his watch and realised that she was actually right.   
  
“Yeah, we better go. It’s pretty late."   
  
“I think we’ll go too. You know, school and all tomorrow." Willow said standing from the table.   
  
Buffy pouted a bit but as she looked at the clock it read twelve thirty.   
  
“Let’s just go say goodbye to your mom." Xander offered.   
  
The six teens walked over to the kitchen, Buffy and Spike leading the committee.   
  
“Oh, God! Mom!"   
  
“Da!"   
  
The two blondes shouted in unison when they walked in to find the older couple in the middle of some major lip-locking action.   
  
“That’s disgusting!" Buffy spat, twisting her facial muscles in revulsion.   
  
“God, the image is burned in my retina. Great, I won’t be able to sleep tonight." Spike grumbled as Joyce and Giles awkwardly pulled away from each other.   
  
“Kids! What are you doing here?" Mrs. Summers blurted out before she had a chance to realise just how stupid the question was.   
  
“We just came to say goodbye. We’re leaving." Xander bravely spoke up.   
  
“Oh, right, right." Giles said nervously as he straightened his shirt. “We should be going too, William. After all it is a school night."   
  
A collective snicker came from the group of friends at the sound of Spike’s real name and Xander actually whispered mockingly:   
  
“William…"   
  
The Brit narrowed his eyes at his friend but ignored him as they walked into the hallway.   
  
“Well, it was nice having you all here." Joyce thanked, a flush still reddening her cheeks.   
  
“Thanks, Mrs. Summers. Dinner was wonderful." Turning to Buffy, Willow continued: “Happy birthday, Buffy."   
  
“Thanks, Wills."   
  
“Goodbye, Buffy. Hope you liked the present." Oz uttered monotonically but with a small smile.   
  
“It was great, thanks Oz."   
  
“Bye. See you tomorrow, Buffster." Xander said giving her a bear-hug before crossing the threshold.   
  
“Bye." Cordy quickly waved and followed her boyfriend.   
  
Buffy watched as the group disbanded. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Giles giving Joyce a quick peck on the lips as they said goodbye.   
  
“So, pet, was it everything you wanted?" Spike’s voice snapped her out of her daze.   
  
“And more." She smiled giving him a kiss.   
  
“See you tomorrow." He said as he turned to Joyce. “Thanks for dinner."   
  
“You’re welcome." Mrs. Summers smiled.   
  
Mother and daughter stood on the porch as they watched their guests leave. Joyce furrowed her brow when she heard Buffy sigh deeply.   
  
“You ok, honey?"   
  
“Yeah…" She whispered staring at the quickly disappearing pair as she hugged herself; a content smile on her lips. “I’m great."   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy nervously tapped her fork on her tray as she scanned the room for the one-hundredth time. The cafeteria was packed, or maybe it just seemed that way. A week of Spring break makes a room filled with teenagers seem very crowded.   
  
“What’s up with the Buffster?" Xander asked Willow when he failed to get an answer from the blonde girl.   
  
“Looking for Spike." The redhead replied shrugging.   
  
His name seemed to snap her out of her search and she glanced back at her friends.   
  
“Don’t you and Spike have English together on Mondays?" Xander asked raising a curious eyebrow.   
  
“Spike’s plane only arrived about two hours ago." Buffy replied glancing at her watch.   
  
“So the Brit’s coming back from the Homeland, huh?"   
  
Buffy was about to answer his question when a flash of white hair appeared from between the sea of teenagers blocking the entrance to the cafeteria. The petite blonde practically jumped in her seat as she strained to catch another glimpse of him. One week, one whole week without seeing him was just too much.   
  
She held her breath when she saw him push through the crowd and scurry towards the familiar table.   
  
Spike inhaled sharply when he finally saw her sitting there. She was more beautiful than ever. God, he’d missed her.   
  
“Hey!" He gasped, a bit out of breath from the jog as he quickly took his seat next to Buffy.   
  
He never gave her a chance to reply as his arm quickly wormed itself around her waist and pulled her in for a demanding kiss.   
  
Buffy’s small fingers curled themselves into the lapels of his coat as they kissed.   
  
The hard sound of people clearing their throats brought them back to reality and they were forced to break away.   
  
“Two seconds in the same room and they’re already into the tonsil cleaning." Cordy sighed as she dropped her tray next to Xander’s.   
  
“Hey, guys." Spike breathed, his eyes never leaving Buffy’s as his hand silently slipped under the hem of her shirt to caress her stomach.   
  
“Spike. Man it’s nice to be acknowledged." Xander said sarcastically as the two blondes continued to stare at each other.   
  
There was an awkward silence as the tension between the two became evident.   
  
“So…" Xander started. “How’s the Homeland? The Royal family? Prince Charles?"   
  
“Still there and still snogging Camilla Parker-Bowles." He replied uninterested. “You wanna…?" He asked Buffy as he tilted his head towards the door.   
  
She immediately nodded and the two stood up, quickly making their way out of the cafeteria.   
  
The remaining teens that sat around the table just looked at each other.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy gasped for breath when she felt her back being slammed against the row of lockers. His mouth immediately assaulted hers; his eager hands quickly trailing down her lower back to cup her behind forcing her to press her pelvis against his.   
  
“Mmm…" Buffy moaned into his mouth as she tried to speak while her fingers erratically gripped the back of his neck, worming themselves into his now dishevelled locks.   
  
“Missed you…" moan “So… bloody much." He growled abandoning her lips to nibble at the tender flesh of her neck, his hand hooking itself under her thigh and bringing it against his hip in a desperate attempt to feel her closer.   
  
Buffy was about to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist when the sharp sound of high-heel footsteps broke their daze. Amazingly, they were able to pull apart just as Miss Addams turned the corner into the hall they were in.   
  
“Ah, Mr. Giles! Just the person I was looking for." The young counsellor said brightly, ignoring the evident flush that marred the two teenager’s faces.   
  
Still a bit stunned from Buffy’s touch he blinked a couple of times and cleared his throat before speaking:   
  
“Yeah?"   
  
“I’d like to see you in my office, please." She replied with her usual artificial grin.   
  
“Now?" The desperation was evident as his glance alternated between his reddened girlfriend and the teacher.   
  
“Yes, now." She spoke briskly as she hocked her arm around Spike’s and dragged him away from Buffy. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you for some time now." She stopped in mid-stride and turned to glance at Buffy over her shoulder. “Miss Summers I’ll be expecting you at the theatre after school for rehearsal."   
  
And with that she left, taking Spike with her and leaving a frowning Buffy in the deserted hall.   
  
~+~   
  
The front door swung open to let a hurried Buffy race up the stairs.   
  
“Buffy? Is that you?" Mrs. Summers called from the kitchen.   
  
“Yeah, mom. I’ll be in my room." Buffy shouted back as she took the stairs two steps at a time.   
  
She plopped down on her bed and immediately reached for the phone. Dialling the now familiar number, she waited.   
  
“Hello?" A low voice answered from the other side of the line.   
  
“Hey, it’s me." She replied quickly.   
  
“Hey, luv. You home from rehearsal?" Spike asked.   
  
“Yeah." Buffy paused a bit, catching her breath before asking: “What did Miss Addams want to talk to me about?"   
  
“Hum… nothing." He lied unconvincingly.   
  
“Spike…" Buffy warned him.   
  
“Let’s just say I’m the most recent victim of the ‘too little extra-curricular activities’ excuse to torture unsuspecting teenagers." He grumbled.   
  
He pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose when he heard her suppress a giggle.   
  
“What’d she have you do?" She finally enquired.   
  
“Not saying."   
  
“Oh, come on. Can’t be that bad. Is it something to do with the play?" She asked eagerly as she pictured the various opportunities they’d have to spend time together if it were true.   
  
“Wish. But no. It’s worse. A lot worse." He mumbled.   
  
It was clear that he didn’t want to talk about it but she pushed the subject.   
  
“Come on, tell me." She practically begged as she played with the cord of her phone.   
  
There was a moment of pause before he blurted out:   
  
“I’m on the bloody Prom Committee."   
  
“What?!" She asked chuckling a bit.   
  
“Don’t laugh."   
  
“You’re on the Prom Committee. You’re going to organise the Prom?" She questioned surprised.   
  
“Yeah." He groaned almost imperceptibly.   
  
“You’re joking, right?"   
  
“Do I bloody well sound like I’m joking?" He growled.   
  
“So you’re going to work on the decoration and the theme and all?"   
  
“Yeah. Can we change the subject now?" He grumbled.   
  
“No. This is just too funny." She smiled into the phone.   
  
“Funny, huh? Know what’s funny? Guess what weekdays the Committee gets together."   
  
“I dunno." Buffy frowned, not know where he was going with it.   
  
“Tuesdays and Thursdays aka the only weekdays you don’t have those stupid rehearsals."   
  
“Oh!" Buffy sighed. “Well, we still have weekends."   
  
“And that’s where the bonus comes in. We also meet on Saturdays."   
  
“What?!"   
  
“And the only reason we’re not meeting on Sundays is cause I threatened to beat Jonathan to a bloody pulp if he even suggested that to Miss Addams." Spike explained.   
  
“Jonathan’s on the Committee again?"   
  
“Yeah, guess who’s president." He never gave her a chance to reply. “Andrew."   
  
Spike groaned again when he heard her giggle once again from the other side of the line.   
  
~+~   
  
The days raced by and contrary to what would have been expected with the quickly approaching summer they seemed to grow shorter and not longer. There was just too much work and too little time. Between school, rehearsal and Committee meetings Buffy and Spike barely saw each other, the only exceptions were when Mrs Summers would invite Giles and Spike over to dinner and even then they had little or no time alone.   
  
Buffy pressed the tips of her fingers against her temples as she sat on the first row. She didn’t even bother to look up as Cordelia painfully delivered her lines to a struggling Xander, as he pulled and pushed at his clothes.   
  
“I can’t do this. This dress is too tight." Xander suddenly protested.   
  
“That’s cause you’re eating like a pig." Cordy shot.   
  
“I’m not. These clothes shrunk." The boy protested as he desperately tried to adjust the fabric around his stomach.   
  
“You eat like a…“   
  
The sharp sound of Cordelia’s voice seemed to drift into nothingness as Buffy slowly dozed off.   
  
“Miss Summers!"   
  
Buffy was snapped out of her haze as two fingers were snapped in front of her face.   
  
“If you don’t mind, I would prefer it if you didn’t drift off into lala land during rehearsals."   
  
“Oh, sorry." Buffy quickly sat up in her seat, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I was just-"   
  
But she wasn’t able to finish her sentence as she was cut off by a loud clapping sound coming from Miss Addams, who had already made her way up on stage:   
  
“People, people. At this rate we’ll never be ready on time. I mean, what do I have to do to get your full attention. Concentrate, concentrate." She clapped her hands energetically once more. “I want stamina, stamina! Now! And you" She suddenly pointed at the boy who was working the lighting. “Those lights are too strong. Do you want my actors to faint from dehydration in the middle of their lines?" The boy shook his head vehemently. “No, I didn’t think so. Bring them down a notch." She waited for the teen to oblige and then added: “That’s better. Good. Now, let’s start from the top."   
  
A collective groan echoed through the room.   
  
“What?" Miss Addams asked angrily.   
  
No one dared to speak up.   
  
“Good. Oh and Xander. Lay off the chocolate. You get any chubbier we are going to get you into a corset."   
  
The brunette’s eye widened in fear.   
  
“Now. Start over. Miss Summers, it’s your queue."   
  
Buffy groaned, pushing herself off the seat and hopped onto the stage.   
  
~+~   
  
He rested his elbows over his thighs and dropped his head to his hands. This was torture at its most painful. Why did they now have to meet on Fridays too?   
  
Two hours had gone by and the group of nerds were still dwelling on what would be the official colour of banners that were to adorn the halls.   
  
“Blue is so much better. Blue like the sea." A shy, freckled girl offered as she adjusted her glasses.   
  
“No, yellow is *so* much cooler." Jonathan insisted. “Yellow, sun, summer. It’s perfect."   
  
Noting that Spike had been quiet all afternoon Andrew asked nervously:   
  
“What do you think, Spike?"   
  
The bleached teen pressed the heels of his hands against his closed eyelids before looking up and letting out a sigh.   
  
“Wha’?"   
  
“The colour for the banner."   
  
“I don’t know. Black?" He said shrugging.   
  
His offer was met by a collective shaking of heads.   
  
“Black? It’s not a funeral, it’s the prom." Kathy spat arrogantly.   
  
Spike glared at the girl. She was probably the most aggravating member of the Committee. Ever since she had made some snotty comment about Buffy he had instantly come to dislike her. And if that wasn’t enough, she seemed to be obsessed with cleanliness. She had this fixation with organising and labelling everything perfectly that just got on his nerves. She just tried too hard to be nice and pleasant. It was disconcerting. And plus, she was just *too* peppy.   
  
“Ha, Spike is so funny." Andrew said nervously as he tried to relieve the tension. “S-so we’ll just go for a vote between blue and yellow."   
  
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’ve voted on it already. It was tie remember?" Spike growled.   
  
Everyone in the room froze.   
  
“Fine. What was the choice?" He sighed.   
  
After a moment of pause Jonathan piped up:   
  
“Y-yellow or blue."   
  
“Fine. I vote blue. Done. Next." Spike tried to speed up the process.   
  
“Blue it is." Andrew smiled anxiously as he scribbled something down on his pad. “Next order of business… the font colour on the banner. Any suggestions?" The blonde asked scanning the group.   
  
Spike simply rolled his eyes and let his head drop once again. This was going to be one of the longer meetings.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy dragged her feet as she arrived home.   
  
“Hello, honey." Mrs Summers greeted her from the kitchen. “How was rehearsal? You look tired."   
  
“Hey." She mumbled back as she took a seat around the isle. “Miss Addams is intent on killing us. I’m sure. It’s all just an elaborate scheme."   
  
“Well, I left the gallery late and I didn’t have the chance to buy anything so you’ll be happy to know that we are going to have pizza for dinner." Joyce smiled when she saw a small sparkle in her daughter’s eyes.   
  
“That’s great mom." Buffy replied weakly. “I’m gonna go take a shower."   
  
“Ok, sweetie."   
  
~+~   
  
Hobbling her way into her room Buffy let her soaked, towel-wrapped body drop onto the soft mattress. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply when the phone rang. She refused to move and simply outstretched her arm, picking up the receiver and bringing it to her ear.   
  
“Hello?" She mumbled.   
  
“Hello, luv."   
  
A tired smile eased its way onto her lips at the sound of his voice. God, how she missed it. The only chances she got to see him were occasional encounters in the hall or during English class which left a lot to be desired.   
  
“You’re home already?" Spike asked.   
  
“Just got in and had a shower." She replied.   
  
“How was rehearsal?"   
  
“Inhuman torture." She said simply. “You?"   
  
“Same. But there are good news. We have already decided on the colours for the banners. Background blue, letters yellow. We postponed the decision on which font to use for the next meeting." He grumbled sarcastically.   
  
“Poor baby." Buffy offered sympathetically.   
  
“You tired?"   
  
“Dying."   
  
There was a moment of silence.   
  
“I miss you." He breathed.   
  
‘God, his voice!’   
  
“Miss you too."   
  
“I wish I was there. I wish I could touch you." He paused and inhaled sharply. “I miss your scent, baby."   
  
Without noticing it, her hand secretly slipped under the towel, which was still wrapped around her, to caress her stomach.   
  
“It’s just been too long since I’ve touched you." Spike continued to speak, his breath starting to come in hard gasps.   
  
“I want you so much." Buffy breathed as her fingers slowly drifted lower and finally slipped between her legs.   
  
Chapter 50   
  
Buffy pressed her sweaty palms together. How had she ended up here? The days had flown by her and now she was standing there, sneaking a peek from behind the heavy red curtain that hung from the ceiling. She felt her stomach turn when she saw the first people entering the room and coming down the narrow corridors to find their seats.   
  
‘Oh, god, oh, god. This was a bad idea. I don’t wanna do this. I don’t wanna do this.’ She thought to herself as she felt her heart practically beat in her throat, making it almost impossible to breathe.   
  
She jumped up when she felt a strong hand resting on her shoulder. She jerked up straight and turned to meet a pair of brown eyes that stared down at her.   
  
“Nervous?" Angel asked with a sympathetic smile.   
  
“I don’t think I wanna do this anymore." She murmured swallowing hard, her eyebrows coming together for a painful frown as her lower lip jutted out.   
  
“Everything’s going to be fine. You’re going to be amazing. As always." He assured her as she let out a long sigh. “Just relax."   
  
“Thanks." She breathed a little calmer.   
  
Her heartbeat skipped a beat once more when Miss Addams’ hysterical voice was heard.   
  
“What are you two doing here? You have to get your hair fixed, Buffy. Now, now, now. Hurry." She shushed her teen, waving both hands dismissively towards the backstage before turning around and shouting at a scrawny, blonde boy: “And you! Get those lights working tonight or I’ll make sure you never graduate from high school. Mr. Harris, why are you still fumbling around with that dress? Put it on and stop…" Her voice drifted away as she was engulfed by the crowd of amateur actors standing at the sides of the stage.   
  
“I better get going." Buffy said, lowering her gaze to the floor as she started walking away.   
  
She was halted by Angel as he circled his fingers around her arm. She turned to face him with a quizzical look on her face.   
  
“I’m sorry." It was barely audible.   
  
Buffy frowned, a bit confused.   
  
“About what?"   
  
“About Dru." He swallowed hard as he continued: “I was a complete idiot. And I can’t even say I didn’t mean to hurt you cause…" He paused letting out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t even know why I did it, you know?"   
  
She remained silent as he spoke.   
  
“You’re an amazing person Buffy and if there is one thing I know I’m going to hate myself for for the rest of my life it’s the fact that I screwed up what we had."   
  
“Angel…" She tried to speak but he cut her off.   
  
“I don’t know why I started that thing with Dru. I mean… She’s a complete nutcase!"   
  
Buffy tried to repress a smile but it was impossible and soon the two were chuckling.   
  
“I really am sorry." He finally said after a moment of pause.   
  
“It’s ok, Angel. I don’t hate you anymore."   
  
“Good." He smiled back at her.   
  
There was an awkward moment of silence until Buffy moved, pointing at the backstage:   
  
“I better go now. You know. Hair and all!" She reminded him as she started to turn.   
  
“Ok. See you in a few." He replied, letting her go.   
  
Buffy rushed towards the backstage. She gasped when she bumped into Spike. His eyes were fixed on Angel’s retreating form.   
  
“Spike! What are you doing here?" She questioned as she followed his gaze.   
  
“Just came to wish you luck." He muttered with a distant stare.   
  
A wave of worry washed over her as she saw the look on his face.   
  
“Spike, that wasn’t what… I mean we were just-“   
  
“Relax, Buffy. I heard what Peaches said." He said calmly as a soft smile spread across his lips. “Just can’t believe he’d do that. Maybe he’s not that bad after all."   
  
“Thank God!" She sighed in relief. “I thought we were going to have another one of those fights."   
  
He continued to smile as his hand came to push a rebellious strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on the nape of her neck, his thumb brushing against her cheek.   
  
“You ready?" He asked in a soft voice as he stared down on her.   
  
“I am now." She breathed leaning into his hand. God, she missed his touch.   
  
Soon, her lips were brushing against his palm, placing light kisses on the hard skin there.   
  
Spike was forced to close his eyes for a second as he searched for control. It had been too long… ‘Too bloody long!’   
  
“I miss you." She whispered.   
  
His eyelids fluttered open to gaze at her.   
  
“MISS SUMMERS! What are you still doing here?" Miss Addams’ screeching tone put an end to their peaceful moment. “You have to be in make up, and your hair." The woman let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes in disgust as she regarded the teenagers dishevelled mass of blonde locks. “And Mr. Giles, you’re place is not backstage. Go take your place in the audience, please." She instructed as she pulled Buffy by her arm and practically dragged her away from Spike.   
  
“I’ll see you after the play." She shouted back at him.   
  
“Break a leg, luv." He yelled as he watched her being swallowed by the crowd.   
  
~+~   
  
“There you are. We were getting worried about you." Mrs. Summers said smiling as she saw the approaching teen.   
  
“I was backstage saying hi to Buffy." Spike explained.   
  
“Well, we better get to our seats." Giles recommended as he lightly directed Joyce down the narrow corridor.   
  
Spike trailed behind.   
  
“Mrs Summers!" Willow called out waving happily.   
  
The three quickly made their way through the rows and sat next to the redhead.   
  
“How is she?" Willow immediately asked as Spike sat next to her.   
  
“Kinda nervous." He answered.   
  
“Hello, Willow." Joyce greeted as she sat next to Spike, Giles settling on her left.   
  
“Hey, Joyce. Giles." She greeted leaning forward to meet the couples’ gaze before turning back to Spike: “Did you see Oz?"   
  
“No, I got kicked out before I could check on the others. I only saw the whelp, though. You’re going to pop when you see him. You know, he actually looks good as a woman." The Brit mocked.   
  
Willow giggled and was about to reply when a ringing sound announced that the play was about to start.   
  
All four sat back and stared up at the stage as the curtain rose slowly.   
  
~+~   
  
Willow felt her heartbeat increase a little as she recognized the familiar passage.   
  
“With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; / For stony limits cannot hold love out, / And what love can do that dares love attempt; / Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me." Angel recited, with a surprising lack of melodrama. He had actually improved.   
  
She looked sideways to catch a glance of Spike from the corner of her eyes. He had both hands firmly gripping his knees, the complete lack of colour in his knuckles testified to the strength he was using. Her gaze travelled upwards to find his jaws tightly clenched together. His muscles twitched as he watched Buffy and Angel exchange a quick kiss on stage, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply.   
  
Mrs. Summers nervously cleared her throat as she noticed Spike narrowing his eyes at the scene that played out in front of him. She tried to ignore the obvious discomfort that surrounded the four of them as her eyes returned to the stage.   
  
‘Breathe in, breath out, breathe in, breathe out. It’s just a play, it’s not real. It’s just a play, it’s not real.’ He kept silently saying to himself but when their lips met for another kiss he felt like he was going to explode. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else. ‘Just a play, just a- I’m gonna kill him. I’m bloody well gonna kill him.’ He growled inwardly as he opened his eyes to see the romantic pair share one last kiss on stage.   
  
Willow, Joyce and Giles let out a collective sigh of relief when the painful scene finally came to an end. Spike loosened his grip on his knees rubbing them gently against the denim as he tried to wipe the sweat from his palms.   
  
“I-It wasn’t so bad." Willow didn’t even know where she had gotten the courage as the words left her mouth.   
  
Spike looked at her sideways and narrowed his eyes at her.   
  
“Sorry." She whispered weakly, her attention returning to the stage.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy remained frozen on the hard stone, her eyes closed as the last lines of the play were delivered.   
  
“A glooming peace this morning with it brings; / The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head: / Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; / Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished: / For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."   
  
Silence filled the room for a few seconds as the curtain fell and then a roar of applause carried through the thick fabric. Buffy opened her eyes to find Angel standing over her.   
  
“We did it." He told her with a smile and an outstretched hand.   
  
She gladly took it jumping off the sarcophagus to stand next to him. Then everything seemed to happen at double speed. Suddenly, she was centre stage again, facing a cheering crowd. She felt both her arms being lifted in the air, Angel on one side, Xander on the other.   
  
Her eyes scanned the audience for the first time since the beginning of the play. She searched blindly as the lights burned her eyes a bit. Her smile grew when she finally found him. He was standing up, clapping wildly and whistling. Soon, Willow, Joyce and Giles joined in and finally the entire audience rose to give them a standing ovation, including a reluctant Principal Snyder.   
  
She didn’t even notice when she was pulled closer to the edge of the stage by Xander and Angel and forced to bow for a second time. When she straightened up again, her gaze was locked with Spike’s and she felt her heat leap, her eyes welling up when she saw him mouth: ‘I love you.’   
  
‘I love you too.’ She was about to whisper back when the curtain fell in front of her, forcing them to break eye contact.   
  
Suddenly, pandemonium broke loose. Everyone was around her congratulating her, giving her annoying pecks of the cheek, suffocating hugs when all she wanted to do was jump off the stage and run to him.   
  
“You were amazing!" A girl shouted hysterically, flinging herself into her arms and almost toppling Buffy over.   
  
“Everything was perfect."   
  
“Oh, my God! I can’t believe we made it." Another one yelled.   
  
Buffy didn’t know what to do, she simply nodded; a plastic smile plastered on her lips as she tried to gently push people out of the way.   
  
“Congratulations, Miss Summers. I guess you did it." Miss Addams spoke up as she seemed to miraculously materialize in front of her.   
  
“Thanks." Buffy gasped a bit out of breath as she felt herself being pulled and pushed in every direction.   
  
After a few minutes of excruciating agony she finally seemed to be able to push her way through the crowd, as the attentions now seemed to be focused on Angel. She scrambled away, lifting her dress as it got in the way. She blindly pulled and pushed at the curtain, trying to find the edge of it, but it didn’t seem to want to be found. Finally, when she had had enough of it and was about to duck under it, she was suddenly pulled up to her feet. In a flash, she found herself in a dark corner of the backstage. The hard ropes dropped from the ceiling to frame her, the clattering of the crowd fading in the distance as her back pressed against a wall and he stood breathless in front of her.   
  
“Found you." Spike gasped gazing blindly at her. “I thought you were-“   
  
He was cut off as Buffy flung her arms around him and smashed her mouth against his for a demanding kiss. She slipped her tongue between his parted lips and found his. Her fingers quickly weaved themselves into his hair, fisting her hand into the bleached mass of curls as she desperately tried to deepen the kiss but he pulled away and stared down at her. An almost predatory spark lit his eyes as he breathed, his left hand cupping her flushed cheek:   
  
“You were amazing, luv. Bloody amazing."   
  
It was only then that she realised he was holding something. A soft smile lit her face when as she glanced down at the now completely crumpled flowers he held in his right hand. She had been so happy to see him that she hadn’t even noticed them.   
  
“I love you." She exhaled sharply, still breathless and with glassy eyes.   
  
“I love you too." He whispered, handing her the flowers before leaning in to kiss her.   
  
It started off slow, but it soon built into a frenzy as the weeks of physical separation finally took their toll on them. Soon the floor around their feet was paved with petals and scrunched up stems as they kissed passionately.   
  
She moaned and mewled against his lips as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her right leg hooking itself around his hip as his hand slipped under the thick dress to cup her outer thigh and bring their bodies closer together.   
  
“I missed you…" Spike gasped, tearing his mouth away from her to trail rough kissed down the side of her neck. “…so much." It was almost a growl as the desire made is voice dry and hoarse. “So bloody much." He emphasized the last word by trusting his hips against hers, causing the hard bulge in his pants to rub against her swollen clit.   
  
“Oh, God." She exhaled sharply, her mouth falling open, her eyes rolling back in their sockets as she let her head drop back, exposing her neck to his ravenous mouth.   
  
He moved his hips in small circular motions while his hand wandered further up her thigh to reach the edge of her panties. Without warning two intruding fingers slipped inside to brush against her swollen and wet labia.   
  
“Spike, I want you." She was able to breathe out.   
  
Her grip on his hair becoming tighter as his fingers expertly explored her.   
  
“I want you so much." He grunted back while his free hand moved up her body to cup her breast.   
  
She was completely lost in the feeling, oblivious to the chatting and partying happening just a little over ten feet away from them. In that dark corner of the backstage all there seemed to exist was Spike and her. She opened her eyes to see the crowd of teenagers celebrating and cheering their success. She didn’t care. All she wanted at that moment was him.   
  
“Spike…" She was cut off when his fingers gripped the edged of her dress and yanked it down exposing her left breast to the rough touch of his hand. “We need to…" She tried to focus on what she wanted to say, but it seemed impossible as she felt him finger her clit and twist her nipple. She swallowed hard and pulled at his hair, forcing him to look up at her. “Utility closet." Was all she could say while tilting her head to her left.   
  
With glassy eyes, Spike turned to see a small door just a few feet from them. Without a word he cupped her thighs and propped her up until her legs were wrapped around his waist. Between passionate kisses and grunts he was able to carry her over to the door. He struggled a bit with the handle, trying to keep his balance and not drop her at the same time. Within a few seconds it opened and the two teens practically stumbled inside as Spike kicked the door closed behind him.   
  
The two scrambled their way into the confined space. Spike’s mouth quickly returning to hers, his body pressing against her, causing her to tumble backwards until her calves hit something behind her – a large cardboard. His hands were suddenly on her legs again, lifting her and placing her on top of the box. Their lips never parted as he pushed his hips between her spread thighs, his fingers gripping her dress and hiking it upwards, exposing her perfectly shaped legs.   
  
In the meantime, Buffy’s own hands were occupied as she pulled at his duster until it pooled to the floor and her attention was then fixed on the buttons of his shirt. She struggled with them, letting out a frustrated mewl when she failed in her task. Realising her predicament, Spike stepped away from her just long enough to get his shirt off, exposing his pale chest to her wandering fingers.   
  
Hungrily, his mouth attacked her neck, slipping downwards until his lips met her uncovered nipple. Buffy arched into his mouth, gasping when his teeth nipped at the sensitive skin and while his hand gruffly cupped her other breast. Much like he had done with its twin, he tugged at the fabric that covered it until the pale flesh was bare. He pulled away for a second and looked at her. She was absolutely beautiful. Her cheeks flushed, her long, dishevelled, blonde locks framed her face, her mouth was partially open, her heaving breasts lifted high, popped out from the constraining dress as she pulled ragged breaths from her lungs. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to have her now.   
  
His trembling hand quickly found its way between her legs, gripping her panties. As he tugged at the delicate fabric, Buffy was busy working on the fastening of his jeans. After a few excruciating seconds, they managed to free themselves of those obnoxious clothing barriers. Her knickers were abandoned on the floor next to his duster and shirt, while his jeans were bunched around his knees.   
  
“I want you so much." He gasped as he gripped her hips and positioned himself between her thighs again.   
  
He cupped her ass lifting her slightly, just enough to angle her entrance for his hard cock. Their gazes met again as she felt the head brush against her soaked slit. She swallowed hard as she waited for him to make a move. An eternity seemed to filter by before he finally pushed his hips forward.   
  
She moaned, as his eyes rolled back and his jaws clenched together.   
  
“Jesus, so bloody tight." He grunted as he dared to look down at the spot where their bodies were connected.   
  
He had only managed to slip the head in and already he could feel her heat engulf him, her muscled clamping down around him. The weeks of forced celibacy had definitely had their effect on her.   
  
She took a deep breathe as she waited for him once again. She saw him close his eyes for a second, his nostrils flaring a bit before he pushed inside of her, forcing her muscles to part and accommodate his girth.   
  
“Fuck." She swore, her nails digging into the tender flesh of his shoulders as she bit her lower lip.   
  
It was too much. She was so…   
  
“So tight…" He whispered again as he leaned his head in her chest.   
  
“Spike, please…" She begged; anxious to feel him moving inside of her. “Oh, God." She growled when he started moving in and out of her in a slow and steady pace, his hands still gripping her cheeks.   
  
Spike’s mouth fell open, his lips trailing across her breasts as he pushed in and out of her. She used her grip on his shoulders for leverage and met every thrust.   
  
Soon they were moving at a rapid, hungry rhythm, his hips smacking against the inside of her thighs as he shoved into her.   
  
‘It’s not gonna last.’ Spike knew it. He wouldn’t last. It had been too long since he had been inside of her warmth. “Fuck."   
  
His thumb hastily slipped between her legs to find the small bundle of nerve at the apex of her sex. He rubbed it in fast circular motions causing her to let out a strangled cry of pleasure. Not content with this, his mouth attacked her left nipple, sucking it roughly between his lips, rolling his tongue over it while his free hand worked the right, tugging at it.   
  
“Oh, God Spike. Don’t stop, don’t stop. So… Ah!" She cried out as he thrust harder into her.   
  
“Buffy…" He moaned between nibbles.   
  
“I missed you so much. Needed you. Spike, I’m…" She was forced to stop in mid sentence as the orgasm that had been building inside of her suddenly exploded.   
  
He tore his mouth away from her breast, clenching his teeth together when he felt her inner walls start to spasm around him. That was it. He thrust one more time into her before he was finally coming with a hard growl.   
  
“I love you." He mumbled, letting his forehead drop to her heaving chest when his orgasm subsided.   
  
“I love you." She murmured breathless as she rested her chin on top of his head.   
  
They remained that way for a few moments, wrapped in each other’s arms as their uneven pants subsided.   
  
Buffy’s eyelids fluttered open when she felt him lick the sweat from her chest. The sweep of his tongue was almost imperceptible at first, but it soon became clear that he wasn’t satisfied yet.   
  
‘Thank God!’ she thought as her fingers lazily traced small circles on his back.   
  
She held her breath when she felt him start to move his hips. He was hard again already.   
  
He let his mouth travel up the slender curve of her neck until he found her mouth. He heard her moan against him before her hands pushed him slightly away. He frowned and immediately moved back to look at her.   
  
“You don’t want to…?"   
  
She smiled at him coyly.   
  
“Don’t you want…" she started, looking up at him from under mischievous eyelids.   
  
He was confused.   
  
“Don’t I want what?"   
  
She never answered, simply pushed him further until he slipped out of her and she heard him partially repress a groan when she slipped off the box. She ran her finger over the sharp edges of his jaw before reaching for his left hand and placed it over her right thigh. She pulled at her dress until his palm was brushing her bare skin.   
  
He was forced to close his eyes when she lead his hand up and back over the round contours of her ass. He couldn’t help but cup the supple flesh. He felt her move and opened his eyes to find her with her back turned to him.   
  
“Jesus, Buffy!" He grunted when she stepped back and rubbed herself against his straining cock.   
  
Her hand abandoned his and reached back for his cock. She tugged at it a few times, eliciting a guttural moan from him. He watched helpless as she bent over the box and consequentially opened herself up to him as she brought him closer and placed the head of his cock against her opening to her vagina.   
  
“Spike… Please." She mewled as she rubbed herself against him.   
  
She didn’t have to lead him anymore. His hand automatically went for her hips, gripping them and propping her up so her upper body was resting completely on the box while her feet dangled a few inches off the floor.   
  
His left hand cupped one shapely cheek, his thumb brushing against the sensitive skin as he waited for her consent. It came in the form of a desperate plea:   
  
“Spike, I need you inside… now."   
  
He rubbed the head of his cock along her slit, making sure she was perfectly soaked before driving all the way inside her with one long, hard thrust.   
  
“God!" Buffy choked out.   
  
“Are you ok?" He questioned.   
  
“Yes, yes." She quickly answered, nodding vehemently.   
  
This was so different, he felt… bigger, harder. She had fantasized about it all those weeks.   
  
“Please, don’t stop." She asked him in a weak voice.   
  
He nodded, even though she couldn’t see him from her position and started moving slowly in and out of her.   
  
She moaned in satisfaction as she felt him stabbing that wonderful spot inside her. But she needed more.   
  
“Harder." She begged.   
  
Spike rolled his eyes back, closing them as he heard the urgency in her voice. He complied and shoved into her with more force.   
  
“Harder. Faster." She encouraged him and soon he was ramming into her in earnest.   
  
Buffy’s hand scrambled over the box, searching for support until she found the edges. She gripped them and used her new found leverage to meet his thrusts.   
  
Spike’s fingers dug into the flesh of her hips when he felt her growing tighter and wetter with each hard stroke.   
  
“Bloody hell!" He growled.   
  
“Oh, God Spike, oh, god, oh god…" She chanted between moans. “Spike, I’m coming…" She finally groaned as her release washed over her for the second time that day.   
  
It wasn’t long before Spike was following her, letting out a feral grunt as he slammed into her one last time.   
  
Buffy gasped as she felt him collapse on top of her, his face nuzzling against the back of her neck.   
  
Author’s Note: Apparently there is going to be an extra chapter. Can’t do without the prom and I guess I got a little carried away with the sex scene. Hope you guys don’t mind. ;)   
  
Thanks to Ali for the idea of the flowers. ;)   
  
  
  
Chapter 51   
  
Ring! Ring!   
  
“I’ve got it." Buffy called out to her mother downstairs as she threw herself on the mattress and reached for the phone. “Hello? Hey, Spike." She greeted enthusiastically, a large grin over her lips. “No, you can’t come over earlier. I’m not going to be ready yet." She paused letting out a long sigh. “I do not take forever to get dressed." She glanced at her nails as she heard the reply from the other side of the line. “Well, it’s my senior prom. I’m allowed to take my time." She mumbled. “Ok, see you at six. Bye." She grinned as she hung up and jumped off the bed.   
  
She walked over to her wardrobe and took out her dress, splaying it over the mattress.   
  
She had been daring this time and had gone for a flaming red number. Her mother hadn’t been too happy about it but she didn’t care. It was her prom; she was entitled to be a little bolder. Her trembling fingers traced soft fabric as her mind wandered for a few moments.   
  
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock on the door.   
  
“Yeah?"   
  
The door opened to reveal her mother standing in the hall.   
  
“Hey, mom."   
  
“So, are you ready to get dressed?" Joyce asked with a weak voice.   
  
“Mom, you’re not going to start crying again, are you?" Buffy asked a bit concerned.   
  
“No, no." Mrs. Summers quickly assured her, wiping her eyes as she inhaled sharply.   
  
“It’s just the prom."   
  
“I know, it’s just… My little girl is all grown up now." Joyce choked a bit as her daughter came to embrace her. When they parted, the older woman traced the edges of Buffy’s jaw. “You’ve grown into a beautiful, intelligent and amazing young woman. And I couldn’t be more proud of you." At that point it was impossible to hold back any longer and the tears started rolling down Joyce’s cheeks.   
  
“Mom…" Buffy pouted, bringing her in for another tight hug, as she realised that pretty soon she would be crying too.   
  
“I-I want you to…" Joyce pulled back, to look her daughter in the eye as she spoke, occasionally sniffling and hiccupping: “…to know t-that I love you very much."   
  
“I know, mom. I love you too." Buffy nodded as her eyes began to water.   
  
The two women looked at each other for a few seconds; a soft smile on both their faces. Suddenly, Mrs. Summers pulled away and straightened her clothes with one hand whilst wiping away the tears with the other.   
  
“Well, I better let you get ready." Her smile grew. “If you need anything let me know, ok? I’ll be downstairs."   
  
“Ok."   
  
As she watched her mother walk away and closed the door Buffy felt a strange feeling of achievement, of complete fulfilment. She was getting ready for her prom, she had a wonderful mother who loved her, great friends and…   
  
Ring! Ring!   
  
… a very sweet and nervous boyfriend that kept calling to check on her.   
  
“Hello? Spike… No, I told you. You can’t come sooner. I miss you too." Sigh. “I know. I can’t wait to see you too. You look very yummy in a tuxedo." She smiled as she heard him whisper sweet nothings in her hear. “Spike… I gotta go. I’ll be late. Ok. I’ll see you later. It’s at seven, not at six." She insisted. “Ok, bye."   
  
She hung up and once more turned her attentions to the gown laid out on the bed.   
  
“Time to get sexy." She said out loud as she reached for the dress.   
  
~+~   
  
“Mom?" She called out as she came down the stairs and into the kitchen.   
  
Mrs. Summers turned around to find her daughter standing at the door. She looked astounding. Her long blonde locks cascaded freely over her bare shoulders, her face fresh and alive as a smile danced over her lips. She twirled around once and the long dress flowed freely around her, the ghostly fabric brushing softly against her legs as she moved. It was a simple gown, which fitted her chest tightly before spreading out just below her breasts. Below, it floated down to form an uneven hem that hung longer on the right side and above, it travelled over her left collarbone leaving her right one exposed.   
  
“Honey… You look…" Joyce was speechless, her trembling hand coming to cover her open mouth. “… Amazing." She was finally able to finish her sentence after a few seconds of staring.   
  
“You don’t think it’s too much?"   
  
“No, no. You’re beautiful, honey." She quickly assured her, coming to stand next to her.   
  
With a glassy stare she looked down at her daughter. She was truly breathtaking. Suddenly, Mrs. Summers was snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head and brushing away the tears that had again started to thread down her cheeks as she rushed into the living room.   
  
“Oh, I better get some pictures of you."   
  
She searched the room and sighed in relief when she found the camera. Without warning, she started taking snapshots; the intense flash temporarily blinding Buffy. Just then, the doorbell rang.   
  
“Oh, that must be Spike." Buffy said, suddenly a bit nervous.   
  
“I’ll get it." Mrs. Summers replied as she reached for the doorknob.   
  
“No, wait. I need my entrance." The blonde cried out, stumbling her way up the stairs, her eyes still partially blinded by the flash.   
  
Mrs. Summers smiled as she watched her daughter stagger up the stairs in a rush.   
  
“Ok, you can open the door now." Buffy shouted from the top floor.   
  
“Hey, Joyce." A tuxedo-clad Spike greeted when the door was opened.   
  
“Hello, Spike. Please come in. Buffy’s upstairs, she’ll be down in a minute." Joyce explained, trying to hide her smile as she let the young man in.   
  
“Thanks, I’ll just-“ He was cut off by the vision of Buffy slowly appearing at the top of the stairs. “-wait." He gasped the rest of the phrase as he gawked wide-eyed at the girl that was now coming towards him.   
  
Joyce smiled inwardly as she watched the couple come together. They were engulfed in complete silence until she reached the bottom of the stairs.   
  
“Hey." She said in a weak voice.   
  
Her heart was racing wildly in her chest. God, the way he looked at her; like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.   
  
“H-“ He tried to speak but the word got stuck in the lump that had formed at the base of his throat. He coughed a bit and tried once again. “Hey." It came out raspy and low. “You look… God, Buffy!" He finally gasped.   
  
She couldn’t help but smile. She felt so beautiful under his intense stare.   
  
“Well, you guys better get going. Or you’ll be late." Mrs. Summers was forced to cut in when the two teenagers simply remained frozen, gazing at each other.   
  
“Oh, right." Spike shook his head, but his eyes quickly returned to the girl standing in front of him. “I brought you this." He said a bit shy as he handed her the corsage he had been holding.   
  
“It’s beautiful." Buffy smiled taking it out of the box and giving it back to him so he could pin it on her.   
  
With trembling hands he was able to do it after a few desperate minutes.   
  
“Let’s just get a few pictures before you two leave." Mrs. Summers proposed giddily.   
  
After a series of snapshots the two teenagers were finally released and allowed to leave for the prom.   
  
“Have fun." Joyce shouted from the doorstep as she watched the two walk into the car.   
  
Spike blinked a couple times more as he entered the vehicle.   
  
“I think you’re mom has blinded me, luv." He mumbled pressing the heels of his hands against his eyelids.   
  
He held his breath when he turned to look at the girl sitting on the passenger seat, the smirk on his lips disappearing.   
  
“You look amazing, luv." He breathed; that glassy stare back in his eyes.   
  
“Thank you." She smiled as he leaned in and kissed her.   
  
His lips lingered over hers for a few seconds, before he pulled away. He let out the breath he had been holding and opened his eyes to look at her one more time before turning the key in the ignition.   
  
~+~   
  
too alarming now to talk about take your pictures down and shake it out truth or consequence, say it aloud use that evidence race it around The lyrics soared to fill the teen-packed gymnasium. Buffy felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she stepped on the linoleum floor, her arm tightly locked around Spike’s.   
  
“Nervous, pet?" he asked, when he felt her grip grow tighter.   
  
“A bit." She answered smiling as she scanned the room before entering.   
  
there goes my hero watch him as he goes there goes my hero he's ordinary “Oh, there’s Willow and Oz." She said, pointing at the couple and the two blondes crossed the floor to meet them.   
  
“Hey." Willow greeted excitedly. “Wow, Buffy, you look great." She exclaimed when she took in the dress her best friend was wearing.   
  
“Thanks. You look great too."   
  
“I told you the red one would look better. Remember, you only get to go to your senior prom once. Time to be bold." Willow explained as she twisted her hands together.   
  
“Hey, Oz."   
  
“Spike."   
  
The two males greeted each other while the girls started chatting about the simple decor of the gymnasium.   
  
“I can’t believe there are no Star Wars icons in the entire gym." Willow supplied. “I actually looked. No Star Wars, no Star Trek, no Stargate. No stars at all. We’re star free for the evening."   
  
“They actually made a good job at it." Buffy agreed.   
  
“That’s cause yours truly intervened." Spike said proudly. “They wanted to decorate the gym with giant blow up dolls of Marvel heroes."   
  
At the confused look of the two teens he added: “You know, to go with the whole music theme."   
  
The two girls exchanged a look.   
  
“Music theme?"   
  
Spike simply outstretched his hand, pointing at no spot in particular.   
  
I want to be your hero of love is it getting better is it getting brighter I want to be your hero your hero of love “Note the subtle presence of the word ‘hero’ in every single song that is played tonight. They decided that the theme of the prom would be ‘Heroes’. So any song with the word ‘hero’ in the lyrics goes on tonight’s soundtrack." Spike explained with a smirk. “It was actually a unanimous decision."   
  
“You agreed?" Buffy asked with a frown. “Why?"   
  
The smile on Spike’s face grew as he started counting off his fingers:   
  
“Highest Trails Above by The Ramones, Up In Heaven (Not Only Here) by The Clash, Shooting Stars and Paradise West by Billy Idol and of course, can’t forget, New York by the great Sex Pistols."   
  
“Oh, God I’m going to have a Punk filled prom." Buffy lamented.   
  
“Oh, baby." Spike mewled with fake sympathy, putting a strong arm around her. “You’ll get around to liking the Punk movement; it’s inevitable after a while."   
  
Buffy twisted her nose in disgust as she leaned into his embrace.   
  
“Nice trick, Spike. Gotta say I’m impressed." Oz spoke up. “Just one problem."   
  
“What?" Spike questioned with a frown.   
  
“You forgot, Holding out for a hero by Bonnie Tyler, Hero by Mariah Carey, almost fifty percent of Country music and of course…"   
  
As if on queue, the first notes of the song started playing.   
  
Would you dance if I asked you to dance? “Can’t forget that classic." Oz made his point, tilting his head sideways.   
  
“Oh, bloody hell." Spike growled as Enrique Iglesias’ voice came loudly from the speakers and series of couples flooded the dance floor.   
  
Would you run and never look back? Would you cry if you saw me cry? And would you save my soul, tonight? “I’m in hell." He grumbled too disillusioned to notice Xander and Cordelia approaching.   
  
“Hey." The brown-haired teen greeted with a wide grin.   
  
“Hello, Xander. Cordy, love the dress." Willow complimented.   
  
“Hey, guys." Spike mumbled as Buffy tugged at his sleeve.   
  
“Come on sour puss. Let’s dance."   
  
Reluctantly, the bleached teen shuffled his way after her. When they reached the middle of the dance floor he put his arms around her small form and brought her closer to him while she rested her head on his shoulder. They moved slowly as the painful lyrics were heard.   
  
She looked up to see a pout on his lips.   
  
“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad."   
  
“No, it’s not bad." He paused. “It’s horrible. It sounds like the guy wants to go to the loo and is being forced to hold it in."   
  
“Nice imagery, Spike."   
  
“Ok, it’s not that bad." he conceded.   
  
“I promise I’ll dance one of your horrible Punk songs with you."   
  
He smiled. And with that she returned her cheek to rest over his tuxedo-clad chest.   
  
~+~   
  
Buffy tapped her foot on the floor along with the beat as she sat around the table between Willow and Cordy.   
  
“I can’t believe we’re at our senior prom." Willow exclaimed as she watched Xander, Spike and Oz talking from afar.   
  
“I can’t believe we’re going to graduate from high school next week." Buffy replied.   
  
“I can’t believe that girl’s wearing the same corsage as me." Cordy pipe up. “Excuse me while I go and kill Xander."   
  
She was half way up, when she felt Buffy’s hand pulling her back down to her seat.   
  
“Oh, will you relax Cordy. It’s our senior prom."   
  
“Exactly! She can’t be wearing the same corsage as I am." Cordelia pointed out.   
  
“If it makes you feel any better it looks better on you. I think it clashes with her dress." Willow offered.   
  
“Of course it looks better on me." Cordy immediately replied.   
  
There was a moment of silence as the three girls continued to observe the dance floor.   
  
“Xander looks so cute when he laughs like that." Cordy spoke up as she watched her boyfriend holding his stomach and chuckling at something that Spike had said.   
  
Willow and Buffy froze. It wasn’t usual for Cordelia to be complimenting anyone, much less Xander. She was constantly pointing out what he was doing wrong, but right now she was just gazing lovingly at her other half.   
  
“He even makes the white sock no-no look cute."   
  
The three girls smiled as they noticed the white sock peeking out from under his tuxedo’s trousers.   
  
“He’ll never learn." Willow noted.   
  
“He did the same thing at homecoming." Cordy sighed loudly.   
  
“God that seems like it was eons ago!" Buffy said as she continued to observe the three boys just as Spike looked back and their gazes met.   
  
They smiled at one another while the people around them continued to speak.   
  
“Remember Spike won for homecoming King?" Willow asked with a grin. “Think it’s gonna happen again this time?"   
  
“Oh, God no!" Cordy exclaimed. “If I have to dance with anyone besides Xander, let it be Angel. At least he’s taller than me."   
  
“Hey, Spike is not that short!" Buffy protested, breaking away from Spike’s gaze.   
  
The redhead and brunette gave her a look.   
  
“Ok, fine. So he’s not tall. But he makes up for it in other areas." Buffy noted mischievously as her eyes returned to Spike.   
  
“I bet." Cordy said rolling her eyes. “I think we all know that by now."   
  
At Buffy’s questioning look she continued:   
  
“Well, except for those few who didn’t go to the play last week."   
  
“Or were there but had serious hearing problems." Willow added.   
  
A bright flush crept up Buffy’s neck and flooded her cheeks.   
  
“It was really funny seeing Giles’ face trying to pretend he had gone deaf." Willow giggled.   
  
“Oh, my God. I’m gonna die." Buffy muttered embarrassed as she rested her face in her hands.   
  
“Hey, ladies. Whatcha talking about?" Xander asked as he approached the table, followed by Oz and Spike.   
  
“Nothing!" Buffy immediately piped up as Spike came to stand next to her.   
  
Xander frowned.   
  
I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light He's gotta be sure And it's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life   
  
“Wanna dance?" Buffy quickly asked when she sensed that Xander wasn’t going to let the subject go.   
  
“It’s in the middle of the song, but sure." Spike shrugged as he helped her out of her seat and led her out to the dance floor.   
  
Racing on the thunder   
  
And rising with the heat.   
  
It’s gonna take a superman   
  
To swing me off my feet.   
  
Just as the lyrics were sung Buffy felt his grip around her waist grow tighter and suddenly she found herself being swept off her feet and lost in his embrace, his mouth coming to press against hers for a passionate kiss.   
  
She chuckled giddily against his lips until they broke apart and her feet finally met the ground.   
  
“So…" Spike started a bit breathless as they started to slowly graze across the dance floor, completely off beat with the song. As the other couples around them moved frantically to the rhythm, they remained locked in an embrace. “…what was that about?"   
  
The flush on her cheeks turned brighter, causing Spike to grin.   
  
“Do you have any idea how cute you look when you’re flustered like that? Just makes me want to…" He finished his sentence by pulling her closer to him and pressing his hips against hers.   
  
Her eyes widened and she immediately pushed him away, but kept her arms around his neck.   
  
“No! That’s what got us in this mess in the first place." She breathed under a frown as she scanned the couples around them. She had this horrible feeling that everyone was commenting on them. “Apparently, the entire school heard our little encounter in the janitor’s closet last week." She explained.   
  
“Oh." He raised his eyebrows as realisation hit him, but seconds later he shrugged. “Big deal."   
  
“What do you mean big deal?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowing further.   
  
“So they heard us, then what?"   
  
“Well, it’s…" Buffy started, but trailed off when she realised she had no argument.   
  
“We are going to graduate next week and we’ll probably never see these people again."   
  
Buffy pondered over the issue for a few seconds and then shrugged.   
  
“I guess…" And she leaned into his embrace once again.   
  
“To think that eight months ago you freaked out over being caught making out on the teacher’s desk." He chuckled.   
  
“Don’t remind me." She grumbled.   
  
“Oh, come on. You have to admit that looking back it was pretty funny." He continued.   
  
“Spike!" She scolded looking up at him.   
  
“What?" He asked defensively.   
  
The smirk on his face made her frown crumble away and suddenly she was smiling too.   
  
“Did you see the look on Harmony’s face?" She asked giggling.   
  
“Priceless." He answered.   
  
They laughed out loud for a while as they looked at each other.   
  
“Feels like an eternity ago…" She finally spoke, her gaze turning distant once again. “How did we end up here? You and me… together at our senior prom. We hated each other so much!"   
  
“I eventually won you over with my incredibly sexy boyish charms. It was just a matter of time." He said haughtily.   
  
“Shut up!" She swatted him across the chest, but a smile remained over her lips.   
  
“I’m irresistible Summers, and you know it." He continued.   
  
“Pig." She muttered.   
  
“A very sexy and hot pig." He added raising one scarred eyebrow at her.   
  
She simply shook her head before resting it back on his shoulder.   
  
Just as they were about to continue dancing, the music was cut short and Jonathan’s nervous voice was heard from the speakers:   
  
“E-excuse me. C-can I have your attention please?" He stuttered tapping the microphone twice and causing a painful feedback shriek to fill the gymnasium. “S-sorry." He apologized when the entire room cringed. He cleared his throat and continued: “Well, it’s our senior prom, finally, and in a week we will all have graduated from high school."   
  
“It’s about time." Someone shouted from the crowd and a general laugh followed.   
  
“Ha." Jonathan forced out a chuckled and continued reading from his queue card. “Anyway, we are gathered here to celebrate our journey into-“   
  
“Oh, get on with it already." Someone yelled.   
  
“We’ll have to go through this during the graduation ceremony." Another was heard.   
  
“Cut to Chase." Larry’s recognisable voice echoed through the gym.   
  
Everyone giggled at the joke. It was just too obvious that Cordelia Chase would be Prom Queen.   
  
“Ha, funny." Jonathan smiled meekly. “Ok, then. The Prom Queen for this year is…" He opened the envelope and read out loud: “Cordelia Chase."   
  
“Finally." Cordy grumbled between clenched teeth as she smiled and made her way up to the stage.   
  
Spike looked at Buffy sideways and noticed she was twisting her hands together.   
  
“Don’t worry, luv. I’m not gonna win this time." He assured her.   
  
At her frown he added:   
  
“Had a talk with Andrew about fixing the polls."   
  
“And the Prom King is… Angel O’Neill." Jonathan announced.   
  
“See?" Spike asked wrapping his arms around her small waist and bringing her to the sidelines so that Angel and Cordy could share the King and Queen’s dance.   
  
They joined the rest of the group as the two popular brunettes came together. Spike glanced to see Xander biting the inside of his cheek and grumbling something incomprehensible.   
  
“Don’t worry whelp, she likes you." Spike tried to assure his friend but Xander wouldn’t stand still until the final notes of the song were heard.   
  
“Finally." He gasped when Cordy and Angel parted ways. “I thought that song would never end." He grumbled as he put one protective arm around his girlfriend and glared daggers at Angel from across the room. The quarterback ignored him, putting his arm around his date, a blonde blue-eyed girl, apparently a freshman in college named Darla.   
  
Buffy couldn’t help but smile at that. It was just so cute how one single dance could make Xander jealousy, but then again she had thrown a fit for much less in the past. The corner of her mouth twisted for a peaceful smirk as she leaned back into Spike’s embrace and let the memories of the last year flood her mind.   
  
  
  
Epilogue   
  
Buffy wiggled her bare toes once again as she spread out on the comfortable blanket; the balls of her feet coming into contact with the fresh grass while her head rested on a strong t-shirt-clad chest. She closed her eyes and let her fingers trace the contours of the white fabric against which she rested her cheek. It felt good to just stand still for a while after the madness of the last few days.   
  
“What are you thinking about, luv?" Spike’s deep, raspy voice caused his chest to rumble a bit.   
  
“Nothing… Everything." She answered snuggling closer to him.   
  
“Oh, we’re in ‘deep thought’ mode today." He joked, earning him a swat across his arm.   
  
She looked up and rested her chin on his chest as she gazed into his eyes; his head propped up on both hands which were folded behind his neck.   
  
“I was just thinking about this last year…" She spoke with a soft smile. “Everything seemed to happen so quickly and so slowly at the same time."   
  
He frowned and she tried to explain:   
  
“It’s just that I remember everything so clearly, still it seems like it happened so long ago. You know what I mean?"   
  
“Sure."   
  
She paused for a second; her index finger trailing over his t-shirt, drawing secret patterns.   
  
“I can’t believe we graduated from high school. It seemed like this year would never end."   
  
“You’re not getting nostalgic already, are you? We only graduated two days ago." He noted.   
  
“I don’t know. It’s just that I get this sinking feeling that nothing’s going to be the same. Everything’s gonna change. I’m just gonna miss everything so much."   
  
“Change is good. A lot of things changed this year, most of them were good." He countered.   
  
“Maybe, but…" She let out a long sigh. “High school’s over."   
  
“Kind of inevitable, luv."   
  
“I know. I’m just gonna miss everyone."   
  
“What do you mean? You’re gonna see everyone next year. You, me, Willow, Oz and Cordy are going off to Sunnydale College. Xander’s gonna take a year of to ‘find himself’, which means he’ll just gonna sit around in his parents’ basement all year until he decides to get off his lazy ass and go to college." Spike rationalized.   
  
“Yeah, you’re probably right." She smiled once again.   
  
“Of course I am!" He said haughtily. “Now, stop moping around and let us enjoy the free time before the others arrive."   
  
“When did they say they were coming?" Buffy asked.   
  
“At six. They’re coming in Oz’s van so they have to wait till he wraps up band practice. Which means…" He propped himself up on his elbow and reached for Buffy’s wrist turning it so he could read the time. “…we have exactly two and a half hours to enjoy this amazing scenery." He said outstretching his arm and pointing at the lake that spread out before them.   
  
“Enjoy the scenery… Right. I like the euphemism." Buffy joked as she crawled up his body and brushed her smiling lips against his.   
  
“What? I’m serious. You gotta admit that my father’s cabin has the greatest view ever." Spike tried to sound innocent.   
  
“I wouldn’t know. Last time I was here I was too… distracted with other things to notice the view." Buffy mumbled mischievously as her hand trailed down his chest and boldly brushed against his crotch.   
  
“Oh, really…?" Spike questioned with a leer as he put his hand on the back of her neck and forced her down for a hungry kiss.   
  
“Mmmm…" She tried to reply but it was impossible, so she simply nodded as they rolled over and she found herself laying on her back with Spike’s body hovering over hers.   
  
Suddenly, he was off her. It took a few seconds for Buffy to focus her eyes and realise what had happened. When she looked up he was sitting next to her; an impish grin on his lips.   
  
“Better not distract you from the view." He said.   
  
“Why you little…" She scolded sitting up straight and swinging her hand toward him but he was on his feet in a flash.   
  
She stumbled upward and chased him around for a few minutes before she gave up.   
  
“What? Can’t keep up?" Spike asked a bit breathless.   
  
“Not really." She replied, shrugging.   
  
“Oh, poor little Buffy is too tired to chase after me." He mocked with a babyish tone.   
  
“No. I don’t need to chase you." She said as she kicked off her shoes.   
  
“I’m just too fast for you, baby." He continued, daring her to come after him as he stuck out his tongue and ran it over his teeth.   
  
“I told you Spike." She started, as her hands hid behind her back for a few seconds before the sound of a zipper was heard. “I don’t…" She let the strings that held her sundress in place fall off her shoulders and soon the fabric pooled around her ankles.   
  
Spike closed his mouth, swallowing hard when he saw her standing there, bathed in sunlight, wearing nothing but a flimsy thong.   
  
“… need to chance you..." And the thong was gone too. “…if I can get you…" She stepped away from him as he walked closer to her. “… to chase me."   
  
And they were off, giggling and chuckling. Buffy ran as fast as she could, but running barefoot, even if it was on the grass, wasn’t very comfortable and pretty soon she realised that the only way to avoid being caught was racing into the lake. And that’s what she did.   
  
Spike grumbled frustrated when he saw her diving into the cool water. After a few seconds she came up, her hair wet and slicked back. Without thinking, Spike quickly disposed himself of his clothes. Jeans, t-shirt, boots and socks flew in every direction as he took them off. Soon he was diving into the lake after her.   
  
Buffy couldn’t escape for too long and eventually she found herself trapped between two very strong, very pale arms.   
  
“Gotcha!" He said triumphantly.   
  
“We really gotta work on your tan, you know that?" She asked breathless.   
  
“Later. Maybe." He gasped before he smashed his lips against hers, her legs instinctively coming to wrap themselves around his waist.   
  
Buffy mewled into the kiss when she felt something long and hard stab the inside of her thigh. She quickly moved her hips to position him when:   
  
“Oh, my God! They’re going at it again!" Cordy’s voice was heard loudly.   
  
The two blondes froze. When they turned around they were met by four pairs of shocked eyes. Well, more like two pairs of shocked eyes, because Cordy’s were more of an angry/frustrated kind and Oz’s were just… Oz’s.   
  
“You guys are like rabbits, you know that?" Cordy grumbled from the shore.   
  
Nervously, the other three teens started retreating. When Cordelia failed to follow them, Xander grabbed her arms and stuttered as he dragged her away:   
  
“O-Oz’s band practice was cancelled." Noting how ridiculous explaining was at that moment, Xander simply added: “W-We’ll just be at the cabin, unloading our stuff."   
  
And with that they were out of sight. Without a second to lose, Spike’s lips returned to Buffy’s neck, while her eyes were still locked on the spot where her friends had just stood two seconds before.   
  
“Spike, what are you doing?"   
  
“What does it feel like?" He moaned with a hoarse voice as his tongue trance up the column of her neck.   
  
“Not now. The others are here." She scolded him, trying to free herself.   
  
“They’re not anymore." He continued his ministrations but was stopped when Buffy finally managed to push him away.   
  
“But, Buffy…" He mewled after her as he watched her swim to shore.   
  
“No, buts, we can do that later." She said as she started picking up her clothes.   
  
“Bloody hell…" He grumbled as he reluctantly exited the water and started to get dressed. “Whose idea was it to invite them to spend the week here at the cabin with us anyway?"   
  
“Yours." Buffy answered promptly as she threw his t-shirt at him while he was zipping up his jeans.   
  
“Oh, right."   
  
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you later." She said with a smile, folding the blanket as she waited for him.   
  
When he caught up with her, she wrapped her arms around his waist and the blonde duo made their way up to the cabin.   
  


The End


End file.
